‘Shokunin’ - ‘Craftsman’

Over a decade ago I heard a new consultant use a word as to his “Why.” He said that it is akin to a Sokunin, which stopped me. After the interview, I Googled it. One definition really hit deep inside of me:

“The Japanese word shokunin is defined by both Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries as ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan,’ but such a literal description does not fully express the deeper meaning. The Japanese apprentice is taught that shokunin means not only having technical skills, but also implies an attitude and social consciousness. … The shokunin has a social obligation to work his/her best for the general welfare of the people. This obligation is both spiritual and material, in that no matter what it is, the shokunin’s responsibility is to fulfill the requirement.” – Tasio Odate

Think about it for a moment, the simple translation of shokunin is, ‘mastery of a profession.’ As a professional consultant to management, I am sure you believe that what differentiates you from other consultants is your high quality service delivery. But the tradition of a shokinun goes deeper to include giving back to the community at large? As I meet my fellow peers, I’m impressed and I’ve come to believe that most of them, as members of IMC USA, do think and behave this way. Like the Shokunin, you serve your clients and the profession with utmost quality and professionalism.

Do you believe you have an obligation to serve the interests of society and well as those of your clients?