Hello. I'm Manabe, the head of the Production Department.
This month's MVP award went to Ken Uehara (commonly known as UEP).
I first met him about five years ago when I started working on a project for an IT company. I wanted young members to work with me, so I asked a lot of people if they knew of any good young people. That's when I was introduced to him.
He graduated from a university in the US and left the recruitment company he worked for after a few years, so to speak. When we first spoke, he said, "I want to go back to the US and become a filmmaker," but when I asked him, "Who is your favorite director?" he didn't answer... I thought, "This might be a bit much," so I passed on him at the time.
A while later, by chance, I was offered a position as an assistant to a person in charge of another project at the same company (a very powerful person), and things quickly progressed to the point where I was involved in the same projects as him.
Fortunately, he got along well with the person in charge, and the nickname "UEP" was born. He was well-liked by the project members and managed to take on a number of fairly tough projects. After that, when his contract with the IT company expired, after many twists and turns, he joined the production department of Monosus, which I lead, two years ago.
To sum up Uehara's characteristic, he is a narcissist who loves himself (laughs).
As you can see from the photo at the beginning of this article, loving his own photos ≒ loving himself, and he is a rare type of Japanese man who can confidently express his self-love . (He also loves weight training to get in shape.)
Writing like this might make me seem a bit strange, but on the other hand, it's also true that I'm a "natural teaser = a lovable character." (It's a bit frustrating though...)
With the experience he gained from previous projects, he is currently involved in the launch of a new web service for a major communications manufacturer. The project was originally started by another member of the company, but when it came to taking on the next phase, he handed over the project in a short period of time, won the trust of the client, and successfully launched the service. The project is still progressing smoothly today.
His efforts were recognized with the award of MVP.
This project is completely different from anything he has done up until now. I imagine he must have had a lot of difficulties taking over. Even in such a situation, he has jumped into a new field and built relationships with clients that have earned him the nickname "Uepi", so I think he is very reliable.
This is just my hypothesis, but his unique characteristic is that when he can clearly imagine "a good image of himself", he shows "overwhelming strength". And, just as he loves himself, he also loves the projects he takes on. (Perhaps this is also a strength of being a narcissist... lol)
One of the most representative projects is " Field Hack ." It is a project run jointly with people involved in urban development in various parts of Japan (Onagawa, Tono, Yosano), and Uehara has been involved from the start, eventually playing a central role in leading the project through to completion.
In his article introducing the project, he wrote:
For me, one thing that is very important is to "over and over again visualize something." This is what is known as image training.
I work every day with the belief that the key to the quality of a project is how well you can visualize the goal and the process leading up to it in advance, and then accurately translate that into actual operations.
At first glance, it seems like what he's writing is normal, but I feel like there's a lot of self-love behind it (laughs).
Hoping to help him grow even further, we assigned him this project for a major communications manufacturer, thinking it would be a "thorny path." At first, he was hesitant, but after many conversations with him about why the project was important to him, his career after completing it, and new developments within the company, he was able to imagine what "a good version of himself" would look like. Making the most of his strengths and pouring all his love into this project, he grew along with the project over the past six months, and finally won the MVP award.
He is a so-called millennial. He is a "new century generation" that is said to be digital native, self-centered, yet has a strong sense of belonging to the community and a strong sense of social service. (I somehow feel he is a typical type, so I've included generational theory lol) Based on the values of his generation, I hope he will grow into a person who will lead Monosus in the future while mastering the art of being a "lovable narcissist" who can confidently express his self-love.
That's all from the manager.
Comments on receiving MVP award
When announcing the MVP, the usual procedure is for CEO Hayashi to nominate someone to do the drum roll.
Hayashi : "Now it's time to announce this month's MVP. Now, UEP, drum roll please."
Me : "Drrrrrrr." (Drum roll. I'll do it orally.)In my situation at that time, I was worried about how to deepen my involvement in the project I was currently in charge of. There were many differences from my previous work, and I wondered where I could demonstrate my value and how I could drive it forward. As my manager Manabe wrote, I think I am the type of person who accelerates all at once when I have an image in mind.
Hayashi : "This month's MVP is... UEP!"
Me: "Oh, it's me." (I can't believe he said it himself.)So I never thought I would be selected.
In his reasons for receiving the award, Manabe said, "It doesn't look like Monosus."
At the time, I didn't pay much attention to it, but later, the person in charge of this project (Ue, head of the creative department) told me that the reason it wasn't like Monosus was because I was acting as a "driver" in moving the project forward. A driver means deepening relationships as the project progresses, expanding the scope of work, and creating and expanding a team. That movement was the point that was evaluated, and he said he wanted it to become "like Monosus in the future."
Having received this kind of feedback has helped me to better visualize where I stand and has given me the opportunity to take the next step. Thank you very much.
Finally, I'd like to thank Manabe-san for recommending me as MVP, and everyone who selected me.
(I believe that if you can't love yourself, you can't love people or your job!)I would also like to express my gratitude (image of love) to everyone inside and outside the company who has been involved in this project!
Ken Uehara