I came across this article about Japan’s supporters at the World Cup, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
After every match, thousands of Japan fans stay behind to clean up their section, not because anyone asked them to, not because there’s a rule, but because it’s who they are. They bring 3,000 blue bags to every game. They teach it in schools. It’s rooted in culture, in Shintoism, in the idea that every object deserves respect.
One fan summed it up perfectly: “It’s our duty.” I love this. I genuinely love this!
And I couldn’t help but think what would the staffing industry look like if we ALL operated this way?
Our industry has a reputation problem. Ghost candidates. Clients and suppliers who feel like transactional partners to one another. Placements that end at the offer letter. Everyone optimizing for their own fill rate.
But what if we “cleaned up after ourselves”, not because a client is watching, but because it’s just who we are?
The Japan fans don’t clean-up for credit. The cameras just happen to show up because the behavior is so rare it’s become remarkable. That’s the goal. Do the right thing so consistently that people notice, not because you’re performing it, but because you can’t imagine doing it any other way.
That’s the culture we’re building at Ursus, Inc.. One placement, one relationship, one blue bag at a time.