Rakuten People and Culture Lab Proposes Recommendations for Creating Sustainable Teams in the “New Normal” Era for Businesses and Individuals

Tokyo, July 30, 2020 - Rakuten, Inc. today announced that its Rakuten People and Culture Lab research institute has published a set of guidelines entitled “Best Practices for Collective Well-Being” that provide recommendations on sustainable teambuilding tailored to the “new normal” that has resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines and other related information can be viewed for free and downloaded directly from the Lab’s official site*1.

The Rakuten People and Culture Lab has proposed these guidelines as a roadmap for constructing how teams could collaborate in the new normal — an environment that demands diverse work practices and personal independence. Aimed at both business management and individual employees, the guidelines draw from cutting-edge initiatives from around the world and combine them with insights and practical experience gained by the Rakuten Group in Japan and globally.

In the guidelines, collective well-being is defined as a state in which the aspirations and values of individuals align and engage with the company’s mission and strategies in a favorable, stable manner for sustainable growth. In order to achieve collective well-being, an organization needs to be aware of three key aspects: Techniques for bringing employees together as colleagues through purpose and diversity (team), creating milestones combined with managing rhythm and the on/off switch (time) and securing places and tools for working (place). The guidelines also highlight the need to maximize the inherent potential of individuals and the group in a sustainable way by allowing for breathing space, something that tends to be lost in the pursuit of short-term productivity gains.

The guidelines contain checklists for businesses with reflections on actions and initiatives tailored to each key aspect, as well as practical tips for implementation. Additionally, tools are included to help individuals remain mindful of the three key aspects.

The Rakuten People and Culture Lab will aim to enhance the well-being of businesses, individuals and society as a whole as it gathers feedback from companies and individuals putting these guidelines into practice. Going forward, it will also share broadly the insights gathered from around the world as theories and solutions are piloted and validated within the Rakuten Group.

*1 Site, guidelines and related data only available in Japanese.

■Overview of the guidelines
・Title: Best Practices for Collective Well-Being

・URL： https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/collective-well-being/

・Summary: Promotes sustainable teambuilding in the new normal era brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Offers clues to the methods of thinking and practices required for sustainable teams by drawing from cutting-edge initiatives from around the world and bringing them together with insights and practical experience gained by the Rakuten Group through its initiatives in Japan and globally.

・Main contents:
- Introduction
- How to apply the guidelines
- Guidelines for management
- Guidelines for individuals

・Tools provided:
- Checklist for business
- “Three keys” dice for individuals
- “Three keys” calendar for individuals
- Virtual background image

■About the Rakuten People and Culture Lab
The Rakuten People and Culture Lab was founded within Rakuten Group in October 2018 as a global research institution focusing on the new relationships between organizations and individuals and the future culture of the company. Together with its Advisory Board comprised of industry experts from a range of fields, the institute aims to establish innovative theories and devise solutions by collecting leading case studies and research findings from around the world, as well as through testing and validation inside the Rakuten Group.