User Manual

SPECIAL ARTICLE
Reforming the Way People Work, According to Mr. Nishiwaki
Q: First please tell us about your work.
Mr. Nishiwaki: I work as an evangelist, conveying not only all of Microsoft’s products and services,
but also what kind of changes will arise in the world as a result of IT — such as AI or automated
driving.
Q: We heard that you are leading the way in practicing a new way of working. Can you tell us
your thoughts on what it means to reform how people work?
Mr. Nishiwaki: I give around 250 lectures a year, so my place
of work itself is spread throughout the country. In addition
to that, I also telecommute. Recently, I telecommuted from
Hakodate. I didn’t have any job to do in Hakodate specically;
I just tried changing my workplace.
Time is among the reasons it’s now considered important to
reform the way people work. People talk about using time
efciently to increase productivity, or reducing work time to
increase employee motivation and satisfaction. I want to make
our society one where people achieve a fullling life based not
on the company but on themselves. Once their personal lives
are fullling can they then do good work.
Q: To reform the way they work, specifically what kind of measures should corporations take?
Mr. Nishiwaki: In conventional ways of working, “3F” was common — that is, a xed time,
a xed place, and a xed device. I think it’s important to change this to “3A” — anytime,
anywhere, and any device. In order to achieve 3A, it goes without saying that we must change
the company culture and practices. But to do so, companies must resolve to change from the
top down.
Reforming the Way We Work:
Why It’s Good and How to Do It
A Conversation with Microsoft Japan’s Motoaki
Nishiwaki
Nowadays, as people seek better work-life balance and greater diversity in the
workplace, work styles are changing, and there is demand for corporations to reform
their ways of working. However, many corporations can’t imagine what they should
change or where to start. Motoaki Nishiwaki, director and evangelist at Microsoft
Japan, is leading this work style revolution, so we asked him what it means to reform
the way people work and specically how changes should be made.
YVC-1000MS
PRODUCT
Mr. Motoaki Nishiwaki
Director and Evangelist at Microsoft Japan