Going the extra mile - a natural Japanese trait.

The more I looked around and observed seemingly minor and normal things, the more
I understood why Japan is where it is today - at the top. For them quality is a continous
mission that can be achieved only with discipline and perserverance. Not something you
can slap on to a product, like an attachment or accessory, as an after-thought.

Add the trait of "respect for one's work" and you get a nation that will succeed in the face
of any adversity. I am sure there is no other race in the world that respects work more
than the Japanese do.

The Europeans come pretty close - the guys I worked with in Belgium were amazing.
They would come in sharp at 8AM (or earlier) and get down to work till 5PM, with just
a lunch break in between. And yeah, 2 visits to the coffee maker to get tall mugs of
black coffee.

But come 5PM, the office would be empty - you see, they respect their personal time
just like they respect work. And try asking about working on weekends ? They will
stare at you like you were nuts. Thats a strict no-no. The only people you will find in
the office onweekends would be the security personnel.

But, the Japanese beat them because of their trait of going the extra mile. Doing one's
assigned job is something that is expected of you. Doing your job well is appreciable.
But doing that extra bit, which is not really your responsibility, and that too of your
own choice is something that deserves real admiration. Let me list just two examples
that I noticed during my stay there.

We are sitting in the super-efficient and ultra-punctual Tokyo Metro on our way to
work and we see the conductor walk from one end of the vestibuled train to the other.
As he walks along, his eyes dart around each compartment, looking for any trash that
does not belong in the train. He picks up a newspaper left by a passenger from a seat,
then sees a empty can of coke on the floor which he picks up. Same for some paper
lying on the floor. I can't imagine a train conductor in India doing this. No wonder our
public places are the way they are.

Heck, why blame only the conductor ? I can't imagine any Indian citizen doing this. But
to befair to Indians, of late, we are seeing awareness in atleast not dirtying public places.
People look for a trash bin to drop the trash. If not available, I know people who will keep
the trash in their bag/pockets instead of littering public places. I also joined the ranks of
such people after my first exposure many years ago to such good practices followed by responsible citizens in other countries and am proud of the small difference this makes
to my country.

I witnessed the second instance at the Hilton Hotel. At the main entrance to the hotel
reception, there is the bell boy with his tall desk, helping guests, organising traffic etc.
His job would be done if he just sticks to doing these tasks efficiently.

While waiting for the hotel shuttle near him, I noticed that whenever he got some respite
from his work, he would take a permanent marker pen and use that to sort of paint up
the exposed edges of his wooden desk, from where the varnish/paint had peeled off.
This is not part of his job description and most likely the work of some service staff.

But, for him, it is about avoiding the guests from seeing it, and getting a bad impression
about the organisation he works for. His temporary fix would do the job till the service
staff get around to fix it.

Now, this is pride in one's work and about going the extra mile, without any expectations - monetary or otherwise. Was able to snap him in action - see attached picture.





No wonder the Japs rule. And one more reason affirming my existing faith in Japanese
products.