Transforming Organizations with Business EQ: A Seminar by Imajina

Transforming Organizations with Business EQ

On March 11, 2026, Imajina Inc., a brand consulting firm based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, hosted its much-anticipated branding seminar aimed at executives, HR, and PR leaders. The session focused on the importance of investing in "Business EQ" as a strategic leverage in navigating the uncertainties of modern business.

The Importance of Business EQ

In an era marked by unpredictability, the seminar underscored a critical insight: organizations can thrive not merely through recognition and advertising but by nurturing the emotional intelligence (EQ) of every employee. Imajina proposed that business leaders should prioritize educational investments that enhance individual and collective EQ.

The Essence of Business EQ

The first part of the seminar explored the essence of Business EQ, which consists of two foundational pillars:

1. Emotional Intelligence Components (EQ)
- This aspect comprises four key elements: self-understanding, emotional regulation, empathy, and the ability to empower others. These attributes form the bedrock of personal effectiveness and interpersonal relationships, enabling individuals to approach emotions calmly and enhance their human capabilities.

2. Public Mindset
- Public mindset combines media literacy and morality. It empowers employees to discern biases in social trends and information from social media, allowing them to make informed decisions. Furthermore, it establishes a moral compass grounded in trust, emphasizing the principle of giving before receiving.

Shifting from Advertising Expenditure to Business EQ Investment

Interestingly, Japanese companies allocate approximately 1-10% of their revenue to advertising, yet human resource investments barely reach 0.1-0.3%. This disparity, compared to global top companies, showcases a staggering 15-fold difference.

The seminar also highlighted a critical issue: high-impact advertisements featuring celebrities can double the likelihood of forgetting the brand, leading to an ineffective use of resources. Instead, companies should focus on strengthening their workforce’s Business EQ, fostering a unified organization around a shared philosophy.

Addressing Employee Retention

Furthermore, research indicates that many reasons for employee turnover stem from dissatisfaction with organizational cohesion rather than salaries. Understanding this leads to a more proactive approach in cultivating a supportive workplace environment.

Visualizing Philosophy Integration and Strengthening Business EQ

In the latter half of the seminar, participants were introduced to concrete strategies for scientifically managing the often abstract notion of human capabilities.

- Visualizing Philosophy Integration: Utilizing unique evaluation metrics, organizations can make their philosophy integration levels visible, facilitating the development of subsequent strategies to embed these ideas effectively.

- Business EQ Enhancement Program: Acknowledging that, on average, individuals forget 74% of newly learned information within a day, the program entails a series of six management training sessions that include repetitive learning techniques. This foundational education emphasizes emotional intelligence as an essential for equipping employees with necessary skills.

Insights from President Yoshiki Sekino

Yoshiki Sekino, President of Imajina, shared profound wisdom during the session, reflecting on the teachings of Konosuke Matsushita: “Economic success is rooted in developing people before products. Cultivating talent with Business EQ and a public mindset while passing down our philosophy to future generations is crucial. This urgent shift is what will create meaningful expectations for the future of any business.”