03: Leveraging Young Employees — The CPS Award
One challenge that many organizations face is the difficulty young employees have in voicing differing opinions from their superiors, often leading to a lack of productive discussions. This not only limits the potential for better business outcomes but also significantly impacts the motivation of young employees.
At ASICS, the Core Performance Sports Footwear Department (CPS) sought to improve engagement within the team. During a departmental workshop aimed at boosting employee engagement, a young team member proposed a presentation competition called the "CPS Award." This event, where young employees and their superiors shared differing perspectives and reached mutual understanding, became a turning point for the department. In this conversation, the group of young employees who proposed the idea, along with their manager at the time, reflect on the journey leading up to the event, the challenges faced, and the changes that followed.
What sparked the creation of the CPS Award?
Young Employee K (K): The idea came from the 2017 engagement survey results, which revealed that younger employees felt less engaged than their veteran counterparts.
T, Department Head (T): Particularly concerning was the low number of young employees who felt they were contributing to the company’s management and goals. This was a critical issue for us, especially within the CPS department, where we want young employees to feel their contributions are vital. To dig deeper into the issue, we decided to hold a workshop where teams could propose action plans. We’d then vote as a department on which actions to implement.
K: One of those action plans was the idea we presented — the "CPS Award," or "Showcase of Our Achievements." For young employees, being entrusted with important projects is motivating, but there’s always the lingering question: “Are our efforts reaching our superiors?” This sense of disconnect, we felt, was one reason engagement was low.
T: When young employees feel like their work isn’t reaching their superiors or that they aren’t being fairly evaluated, it’s understandable that they might not feel connected to the company’s growth, even though their work is directly contributing to it.
K: This led our team to suggest creating a platform where CPS department members could showcase their achievements — the "CPS Award."
What points did the young team emphasize, and what challenges did they face?
K: While the proposal for the "CPS Award" came from a young team, we didn’t want it to simply be an event where young employees presented their work and their superiors just evaluated it. We felt it should be a chance for everyone, regardless of rank, to share their work and better understand each other's contributions. This, we believed, would boost morale across the department and ultimately enhance engagement. However, this idea conflicted with T’s suggestion that only the younger employees should present.
T: Yes, initially, I thought the event might be too difficult to implement, given ASICS’ culture, which doesn’t traditionally encourage self-promotion. I was skeptical about whether it would actually improve engagement. In fact, I didn’t vote for the proposal at first. But once the department collectively chose it, I accepted it as the group’s decision. When it came time to plan, I worked directly with K, the leader of the proposal group, bypassing managers and department heads.
K: Despite the resistance, we stuck with the idea that both young employees and superiors should present. That’s what made the event special. I remember when T asked me, "Do you really think this will succeed?" It added a lot of pressure, but I told myself, "Even if it fails, we’ll try it once."
How did the department head receive the young employees' ideas?
T: When the proposal for the "CPS Award" came up during the workshop, I honestly felt, "This is going to be difficult." ASICS isn’t a company where employees typically brag about their accomplishments, for better or worse. I was doubtful that this idea would truly improve engagement. I didn’t vote for it. But once the department voted and it was chosen, I respected it as the collective decision.
In the planning phase, I worked directly with K, and we focused on ensuring the event would work. In the discussions, I tried not to push my own views too hard and gave K the autonomy to lead. The goal wasn’t to end the activity after just one round but to make it a continuous practice. Initially, I suggested limiting participation to just the younger employees to make it less daunting, but K insisted on opening it up to everyone. Eventually, we compromised with the idea of voluntary participation, which worked well for all of us.
What did the young employees who were part of the planning team think?
Young Employee S (S): From the start, we wanted the event to be "all-inclusive," so when the plan shifted to voluntary participation, we were a bit worried about whether it would still serve the purpose of boosting engagement. However, we appreciated that T considered our priority — that age and rank should not limit the presenters. So, we were able to come to an agreement. Leading up to the event, my team worked hard to make it an event that everyone would feel comfortable participating in. We reached out to encourage participation from the department.
Young Employee W (W): We initially aimed for 8 teams, but we ended up with 13 teams, including participants from the late 30s. It was encouraging to see that both younger employees and more senior employees wanted to join in.
Overview and Results of the CPS Award
With the catchy slogan "Listen to My Story!!", the event was held at the end of 2017, with all members of the department participating. Thirteen teams presented their achievements, and the ranking was decided by a vote from all employees. The seating arrangement was randomized, breaking up age and rank to promote communication.
The first CPS Award saw a second-year employee take the top spot. After the event, there was an open exchange of feedback and advice for all participants from their colleagues. The following year’s survey results showed that more than 90% of employees wanted a second round, with over 60% eager to participate as presenters.
Lessons Learned from the CPS Award
S: I didn’t expect a second-year employee to win the top spot. I’d always thought of them as quiet, but during their presentation, they were so charismatic, they could have been a comedian.
W: The event revealed sides of people I didn’t know existed. After the event, the mood in the department shifted — there was more open communication, and I personally started talking more with my superiors. I felt more included in the conversations.
K: I was able to discuss things directly with T during the planning stage, which helped me understand their concerns. Having an open exchange of opinions was crucial in making the "CPS Award" happen. T is usually the first to speak up, so when they stayed at the back of the room during the event, I wasn’t sure what to think.
T: That wasn’t my intention, K! If I gave you the impression that I wasn’t involved, I apologize. I was fully onboard with the idea, and I trusted you and your team to manage the event. I didn’t feel it was appropriate to speak up during the event since it was meant to be about your initiative. I was so moved by the presentations that I could only express gratitude afterward.
K: That’s a relief to hear.
T: What I learned from the "CPS Award" is that young employees are passionate about their work, and they have the ability to rise to the occasion. During the workshop, I was quick to dismiss some ideas, thinking they wouldn’t lead to engagement improvement, but after hearing your thoughts, I realized that there’s more than one way to approach things. Even though I’ve since moved to another department, I still believe that fostering a culture where young employees feel comfortable speaking up is crucial. Even when there’s no formal event like the CPS Award, I want to continue encouraging open discussions. This experience should carry over into your daily work, and when you become managers, I hope you’ll use these lessons to make decisions with your team in mind.
Note: The profile and interview content reflect the information at the time of the interview.
