Akio Morita

Quotes are word for word from the source.

• Learning from mistakes

  “We tell our young managers: 'Don't be afraid to make a mistake. But make sure you don't make the same mistake twice'.”

  Our noteAkio Morita was discussing the training of young managers at Sony.

• Collective thinking

  “A company will get nowhere if all of the thinking is left to management.”

  Our noteHe was explaining the importance of involving all employees in the thinking process.

• Employee motivation

  “What we in industry learned in dealing with people is that people do not work just for money and that if you are trying to motivate, money is not the most effective tool.”

  Our noteMorita was reflecting on what truly motivates people in a corporate environment.

• Fair evaluation

  “I established the rule that once we hire an employee, his school records are a matter of the past and are no longer used to evaluate his work or decide on his promotion.”

  Our noteHe was describing Sony's policy regarding academic records after hiring.

• Root cause analysis

  “The important thing in my view is not to pin the blame for a mistake on somebody, but rather to find out what caused the mistake.”

  Our noteHe was discussing the healthy way to handle errors within an organization.

• Three types of creativity

  “I said there are three creativities: creativity in technology, in product planning, and in marketing. To have any one of these without the others is self defeating in business.”

  Our noteHe was outlining the essential pillars of a successful industrial company.

• Functional work environments

  “We want everybody to have the best facilities in which to work, but we do not believe in posh and impressive private offices.”

  Our noteMorita discusses the physical workspace and management style in Japanese companies.

• Holistic compensation

  “I believe it is a big mistake to think that money is the only way to compensate a person for his work. People need money, but they also want to be happy in their work and proud of it.”

  Our noteMorita explains what motivates employees beyond just their salary.

• Leading with empathy

  “You can be totally rational with a machine. But if you work with people, sometimes logic often has to take a backseat to understanding.”

  Our noteMorita shares his philosophy on managing human relationships versus technical systems.

• Shared corporate fate

  “the company must not throw money away on huge bonuses for executives or other frivolities but must share its fate with the workers.”

  Our noteMorita argues against executive excess and for solidarity with employees.