Enjoying the "gaps" is
Ruler-style DIY.

Monosus is a company full of gaps.

When I say gaps, I don't mean gaps in the building. (It's true that wooden offices that are over 50 years old have a lot of gaps and are a little cold in the winter...) This time, I'm not talking about physical gaps, but about gaps in the structure of the company.

For example, cleaning the office courtyard. Although we now have a rotation system, when fallen leaves pile up, the people who are not on duty also clean it up. Someone also cleans the coffee maker that everyone uses every day, and cat-loving staff members feed the neighborhood cats and make cat houses. Some volunteers try their hand at gardening, and the members of the company cafeteria committee even make their own racks to dry dishcloths.

Everyone can arrange the office however they like, creating their favorite spaces and things that they wish they had. Perhaps the reason they can do this is because the company leaves room for variation, without rigidly deciding on various rules and forms.

We interviewed Monosus's CEO, Hayashi, about the system that leaves such gaps.

When you find a gap, get involved in it.

The fallen leaves in the courtyard are neat and tidy, making for a pleasant environment.

At Monosus, there are many areas where the rules are not as clearly defined as in large companies, so it doesn't seem like there are many cases where you are told "you can't do this!"

"That's right. There are signs posted to encourage employees to use the toilets comfortably, people take care of the neighborhood cats, and people make log chairs from trees they cut down in the courtyard. Everyone does what they like. As a company, we intentionally leave some "gaps" where people can do things like that. I want people to see those gaps and think for themselves."

Is there any reason why you deliberately leave a gap like that?

"One reason is that having gaps gives us the room to think for ourselves and be creative. Another reason is that I want people to have the attitude of 'let's make things better' towards the community they belong to. Because I think the quality of our actions changes depending on whether or not we have that attitude."

What is the quality of action?

"Imagine if there was a shelf in the company equipment storage area and you wanted to add or rearrange stationery, but the way you put things on that shelf will change depending on whether you think of it as 'our shelf' or 'someone else's shelf.'
If we think of it as "our shelf," we will probably place things with ease of use in mind, such as putting frequently used items at the front and items not used often at the back, but if we think of it as "someone else's shelf," we might just place things haphazardly without thinking.
As these items pile up, the difference will become clear; either the shelf will be easy to use and lively, or, conversely, it will be difficult to use and cluttered.

When each of us acts with the desire to make the community better, it makes everyone happy, and ultimately benefits us. In other words, I think the total amount of happiness is greater than if we were only thinking about ourselves and doing things for ourselves.”

By focusing on the gaps, you can improve the entire community and make yourself happier.
This may apply not only to your company, but also to the community where you live and among your family members.

DIY fills the gaps and gives you more options for how you live your life

A scene from a company trip to Zamami Island. We carried logs and made benches by hand.

"To begin with, the gap is the so-called 'common' area between the public and private, and it's something vague and ambiguous.
Sometimes I'm asked "So, what should I do?" about these vague, undecided parts, but if I try to define it, it would just become work.
That's why I want everyone to think about it and come up with creative solutions."

Think for yourself and try to come up with ideas. In other words, Do it Yourself (DIY).

"Yes, DIY is a way to solve problems without relying on money.
For example, you can have a fun trip if you use your imagination, without paying a lot of money to a travel agency to join a tour, and you can eat delicious food without going to a high-end restaurant if you improve your cooking skills. If you understand that, I think your relationship with money will change.

By being creative without spending money, you can see things clearly.

"I don't mean to intrude into people's private lives, but I think that if you don't get better at managing your money, your satisfaction with your life won't increase. In fact, by acquiring the knowledge and skills to do DIY, you can become better at managing your money, which will give you more options for how you live your life.
It's important to have a balance between how you earn and how you spend money. At our company, we want to improve the efficiency of how we spend money while also coming up with new ways to earn money."

The appeal of DIY is that it teaches you how to manage money.

"Also, DIY is simply fun. If you spend money to solve a problem, you're left with nothing, but if you do something yourself and use your ingenuity, it may be hard, but it's fun and you're left with wisdom and skills. Doing so broadens your options for how you live your life, so it's all good."

Filling the gap between public and private spaces with DIY ideas.
While improving our community, we also gain wisdom and broaden our way of life.
That seems to be the best part of "ruler-style DIY."

From next time, I would like to introduce in detail what kind of "gaps" we actually DIY at Monosus.