#Japan #Tokyo #NTT DATA #Peatix #Potage

NTT Data’s Community Leader's Community Wins Prestigious Award

In a significant recognition of its efforts towards fostering collaborative learning environments, NTT Data's Community Leader's Community (CLC) has been announced as the winner of the Business Community Award at the 2025 Peatix Community Awards, which took place on May 28 at SCC Sendagaya.

This initiative, which emphasizes community-driven support for corporate and municipal visions, is backed by Potage Inc. Led by president Azusa Kawahara, Potage has played a vital role from the planning stages to operational implementation. Their collaboration aims to cultivate an environment conducive to autonomous learning, ultimately helping to shape organizational culture that influences decision-making from the ground up.

Background of the Award: Emphasizing Relationship Building

In today’s ever-evolving work environment, traditional on-the-job training and large-scale seminars are often inadequate. Recognizing this gap, NTT Data shifted its focus toward facilitating “autonomous learning” within the workplace. To achieve this, NTT Data established a community specifically for proactive employees—termed community leaders—who are eager to foster a culture of continuous learning. Thus, the CLC was born.

Overview of CLC: A Community of Communities

The CLC operates as a hub that connects over 100 self-driven learning communities within the organization, enabling community leaders to exchange advice and share challenges. It tackles various themes including IT innovations, new business strategies, design thinking, and diversity initiatives, accelerating cross-border learning that involves both junior staff and associated companies. This structured approach encourages professionals to autonomously enhance their skills through practice, sharing, and feedback.

Achievements: From Ground Level to Corporate Recognition

Initiated from the grassroots, this initiative moved swiftly, achieving a presentation to the CEO within a year of its inception. The impact of the CLC was compelling enough to illustrate the importance of community-driven activities to top management, paving the way for an officially sanctioned support system for internal learning communities. What started as a focus on individual development has begun to transform into a mechanism that yields significant benefits for the organization and its governance.

Comment from Stakeholders

Kazunori Arakawa, Deputy Manager, NTT Data Group’s Innovation Headquarters:
“The CLC started from the ground up, and through efforts to connect various community leaders and organizations, we have seen tangible results with participation in company-wide conferences and the realization of community support systems. To date, over 1,000 individuals from diverse roles and departments have contributed to cultivating a culture of ‘connecting, teaching, and learning together.’ We are thrilled that our commitment to autonomous learning has been recognized externally.”

Azusa Kawahara, President of Potage:
“Since the support began a year and a half ago, participation in internal webinars has surpassed 100 community leaders, and over 300 individuals joined the stages we produced at company events. While these activities are driven by our employees, the growing understanding from management has led to the establishment of support systems—which continues to evolve as a platform for autonomous learning. Given the prevalent challenges regarding learning retention and practical application in many companies today, we are excited that this award effectively showcases the value of relationship-based learning in communities.”

Upcoming Online Seminar Announcement

To share insights about cultivating autonomous learning in practice, an online seminar titled “How to Create a Ground for Learning: The Possibilities of Internal Communities that Foster Co-creation” will be held on June 26, 2025, from 12:00 to 13:00. Key speakers include NTT Data executives and community leaders.

Key topics will include:

• - The importance of investing in relationships amidst current trends in human capital management.
• - Cultural change initiated from the ground: three perspectives on embedding communities within organizations.
• - Transitioning learning focus from the individual to relationships: new approaches to reskilling strengthened by ‘Know-who.’
• - How to influence management within a year: challenges faced and the structure developed by NTT Data’s CLC.

This seminar is highly recommended for executive leadership, department heads seeking insights into building a culture of impactful learning, and HR professionals interested in examples of autonomous reskilling and learning promotion practices.

To register, go to here.

About Potage Inc.

Potage Inc., established in January 2021, specializes in marketing promotions, seminar and event planning, and education and consulting for talent development. Their vision focuses on creating an organization and society where everyone can harness their potential and create value together through relationship-oriented community strategies.

For more details, check out their website: Potage.

Conclusion

The recognition of NTT Data’s CLC at the Peatix Community Awards 2025 is not only a tribute to their innovative community-focused approach but also signifies the rising acknowledgment of collaborative learning within corporate landscape. Moving forward, these initiatives are set to foster a culture of interdependence, continuous learning, and growth within organizations.

Additional Resources:

• - For more information about the Peatix Community Awards, visit this link.
• - Read NTT Data's press release here.