“IHI Group All Hands Meeting—Let’s Think Together About the Future From the 171st Year” held at the Toyosu IHI Building
On November 21, 2024, the IHI Group held an employee event titled “IHI Group All Hands Meeting—Let’s Think Together About the Future From the 171st Year” at the Toyosu IHI Building in Koto Ward, Tokyo.
This event was held to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the Group’s founding, with the aim of enhancing two-way communication between management and employees. It was conducted for all IHI Group employees, including those at affiliated companies and overseas bases. The event was also streamed online. Over 200 employees participated in person, and over 1,000 employees from around the world joined online.
On the day of the event, a talk session and panel discussion with President Ide was held at a special venue established in the atrium on the first floor of the Toyosu IHI Building.
Freelance announcer Ms. Sayaka Suguro served as the interviewer for the talk session. President Ide shared the current environment surrounding the IHI Group, the future direction of management, and his expectations for employees in light of these factors. The panel discussion featured President Ide, Mr. Soichi Noguchi, a former astronaut and Executive Advisor at IHI, Mr. Daichi Konuma, CEO and co-founder of Cross Fields, and a member of the DE&I Group in the Human Resources Division. Together, they discussed the theme of “Why do we need to implement DE&I?”
In order to implement DE&I, the IHI Group has declared 2024 as the “first year of DE&I.” During the discussion, President Ide emphasized the importance of promoting DE&I, and the guests shared advice on how each employee can integrate DE&I into their work. At the end of the event, President Ide delivered the following message to all employees: “I encourage each and every one of you to shape the future of the IHI Group by considering and acting on DE&I.”
The backdrop of the event venue was decorated with original artwork created in collaboration with HERALBONY Co., Ltd., an intellectual property (IP) business that develops artwork by artists with disabilities. The original art was created by Nozomi Fujita, a contracted artist with HERALBONY, and is titled “Creating with Compassion for People.” Fujita created a powerful yet whimsical piece to commemorate IHI Group’s 170th anniversary and the first year of DE&I. To keep employees engaged with art and diversity daily, the original art was also distributed as a background image for online meetings after the event.
In conjunction with this event, a “Dialogue in the Dark” was held at the Toyosu IHI Building for three days only from November 20 to 22. The aim of the program was to help employees gain a deeper understanding of DE&I on a personal level. Offered by the Dialogue Japan Society, Dialogue in the Dark involves participants being guided by specially-trained visually impaired staff called “attendants.” In 100% pure darkness with all light completely blocked out, participants discover new insights through experiences using a variety of senses other than sight.
When holding Dialogue in the Dark at IHI, employees were divided into groups regardless of affiliation, age, or gender. In the dark, they sharpened their senses and worked together in groups to carry out various activities. After relaxing both their minds and bodies, they had a dialogue on the future of IHI after the 171st year. A total of more than 300 employees participated over the three-day period, and each employee expressed themselves to the fullest in the dialogue space.
Employees shared feedback such as “I felt it was important not to make assumptions or judgements based on appearances or job titles” and “I wanted to listen to opinions and learn from other participants in the same dialogue regardless of their attributes.” By experiencing the loss of visual cues, participants became more aware of communication challenges and their own preconceptions, gaining a deeper appreciation for the importance of dialogue and effective communication.
These events provided an opportunity for every employee at IHI Group to reflect on the future of the company, their own future, and the values of DE&I. Going forward, IHI will continue initiatives to ensure that employees become more familiar with DE&I. We will promote the creation of a workplace where everyone can fully demonstrate their abilities, so that DE&I will ultimately be elevated as an intrinsic part of Group culture at IHI.