mento Management AI Begins Service for Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.

mento Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kenji Kimura; hereinafter referred to as "mento"), a provider of the management success platform "mento (メント)", is pleased to announce the commencement of providing "mento Management AI" to Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nishi-Tokyo City, Tokyo; President: Yoshitaka Oji; hereinafter referred to as "Citizen Watch"). As the promotion of human capital management leads to the personalization of talent management, we aim to enhance the quality of dialogue using AI, enabling managers to allocate resources appropriately for development and performance creation, while also realizing individual career autonomy. ■Background and Objectives for Introducing "mento Management AI" Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., as a business holding company, plays a central role in the Citizen Group by globally deploying high-quality products and unique technologies in a wide range of fields, including the watch business, machine tools, and devices. As they pivot towards human capital management, they have been promoting initiatives that emphasize dialogue to foster individual career autonomy. On the other hand, for managers, the scope and quality of responses required for on-site management, such as career interviews with subordinates and providing detailed feedback, have also increased. Originally, as a manufacturing company, there was a corporate culture of "learning by observing seniors," and the culture of actively expressing one's own intentions and thoughts in words was not necessarily strong. Therefore, it was difficult to place the responsibility of drawing out members' thoughts solely on managers through dialogue. Consequently, they determined that a system was needed to help everyone, not just managers but also members, deepen their self-reflection and make it easier to articulate their thoughts, leading to the decision to introduce mento Management AI. Through this introduction, it is expected that members will develop a habit of organizing their thoughts and expressing their opinions and intentions through daily dialogue with the AI coach. Furthermore, by capturing members' true feelings with AI, it will lead to better dialogue, and managers will be supported in appropriately allocating limited management resources and providing more effective follow-up. ■Comments from Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. Yuka Kobayashi, General Manager, Human Resources Department "With the shift to human capital management, we have been promoting initiatives for individual and corporate growth, but the roles of dialogue and supportive guidance were concentrated on managers. We believed that a system was needed not only to enhance managers' skills but also to change the behavior of members themselves, and that's when we encountered mento Management AI. Because this AI was developed by mento, which has a track record of high-quality management coaching, we felt confident in the quality of dialogue with the AI coach and decided to implement it. We believe that leveraging AI will promote the revitalization of members and the organization, leading to increased manager confidence and organizational performance." Tomoka Watanabe, Human Resources Development Section, Human Resources Department "Even in interviews, many members felt they 'didn't know what to talk about,' and we recognized the challenge that neither managers nor members were able to have genuine conversations. We have also seen cases where young employees, feeling restless, leave the company thinking, 'Perhaps this isn't the place for me to thrive.' When I experienced AI coaching, I was genuinely surprised by how it helped me organize my thoughts while being supportive, and I became convinced that this could indeed draw out members' voices. We want to build an organization where members can articulate their uncertainties themselves through AI coaching, allowing managers to notice them sooner, and helping them find fields within the company where they can thrive." Case study article here: https://www.mento.jp/case/citizen ■About "mento Management AI" "mento Management AI" is a service that realizes new team management in the AI era. The AI coach supports self-reflection and action by drawing out members' true feelings through dialogue. Based on the AI Weekly Report, managers can identify team management issues early without overlooking members' true feelings and changes, and consider concrete measures. (https://www.mento.jp/service/management-ai) By making "mento Management AI" the platform for team operations, mutual interaction between managers and members occurs, and management changes in the order of "Habits → Relationships → Results." Changes in Member Habits Through dialogue with the AI coach, members are encouraged to "disclose their true feelings" and "share early signs," and the AI coach provides timely feedback as needed. This leads to the habit of continuous reflection and learning. They can verbalize their reflections and goals, becoming more autonomous. Changes in Manager-Member Relationships Based on the AI Weekly Report, managers can proactively grasp the condition of team members, identify issues early, and review the allocation of management resources. By providing support to members at appropriate times, the relationship between managers and members is strengthened. Changes in Team Results Starting with strengthened relationships, employee engagement improves, and team growth is realized, ultimately leading to improved performance and results. Through this series of changes, management productivity for the entire organization is enhanced. ■About mento Inc. "Making Passion Ordinary" In this era of abundant information and countless "correct answers," we want to make it ordinary for people to live passionately in their own way. We will continue to challenge ourselves to change the world from the human heart. 【Company Overview】 Company Name: mento Inc. Location: 2F, Nissei Mita Building, 3-9-11 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo Representative Director: Kenji Kimura Date of Establishment: February 2018 Business Activities: Development and operation of the management success platform "mento" https://mento.jp/ Development and operation of the personal coaching service "mento" https://i.mento.jp/ Corporate Website: https://mento.co.jp/