Dr Chubachi keeps a blog, which he updates daily. He writes about books he has read, sports events and Kabuki theatre he has attended, and music that he enjoys.

But Chubachi is no ordinary blogger£¬he is president of Sony Corporation; and his blog is one of his ways of keeping touch with his managers and workers worldwide.

Written in both Japanese and English, "Chubachi Connected" shares not only the 58-year-old's hobbies, but also his management tips as a top executive of one of the world's best-branded electronics and entertainment companies.

"Yes, people want me to write more about management," he laughed.

When Ryoji Chubachi took over Sony's electronics business early last year, it had been in prolonged doldrums. Critics said that its product lines were too long and profit margins razor thin.

But as Chubachi saw it, it was the confidence of employees that was in crisis.

"I had to boost morale," he said. And the first thing he did was to build trust in the management-employee relationship.

"To strengthen communication, we went to the places where R&D, production and sales were conducted and picked the brains of our employees about ways to improve," he said. Townhall meetings were held, each lasting from half an hour to two hours, where ideas were exchanged. Although his blog, started on June 22 last year, does not accept messages from readers, employees can email their feedback to a designated mailbox.

"At that time, our employees were anxious. They were eager for the company to get back on track. As a leader, I had to give hope and guidance. After employee confidence rebounded, then we had to do something about our business, in short, to make money," he said.

After analyzing feedback from his employees, Chubachi set about to tackle the troubles plaguing the electronics business. "First, we started thinking from our customers' perspective. That thinking was embedded in every area, from designing to marketing. Second, we have the technology initiative, and it is infused with our unique style, the so-called Sony style. And third, we solve problems right at the site," Chubachi summed up.

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