SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- With nearly one million copies
sold during its first year in print, American author, Stephen R. Covey's
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has taken Japan's business world by
storm. It was listed as the number one best-selling business book in Japan in
1997, based on data collected by Japan's two largest publishing distributors,
Tohan and Nippan.
In the United States, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People also tied as
the number one Most Influential Business Book of the 20th Century in a survey
of Chief Executive magazine's readers. The International Economy magazine in
August 1998 lists The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as the number one
business book in Japan in its G7 Best Sellers list of what the economic,
financial and political elite are reading. Not since Dr. Edwards Deming's
quality movement have Japanese businesses embraced American business practices
like they have The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey,
co-chairman of Franklin Covey Co.
Yoshimi Abe, Sales Manager of Tohan, Japan's largest book wholesaler said,
"The 7 Habits went to the top of the charts in its genre right after
publication and ranked number one in business books for 1997 and number seven
for non-fiction books overall during the year in Japan. This is a remarkable
success, when one considers that over 60,000 new titles are printed each year
in Japan."
The success of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in Japan promises
to grow as the book maintains its record-breaking international best-selling
position with over 10 million copies sold worldwide. It is translated in 33
languages and is considered the best-selling foreign non-fiction book of all
time in several countries, including South Korea and Australia. In his book,
Covey pinpoints principles that are cross-cultural to transforming
individuals, families, and organizations in an interdependent world economy.
The appeal of The 7 Habits in Japan goes beyond the business sector. Yuzo
Okaya, President of Nippo Co., Ltd. said, "The principles embodied in
The 7 Habits are not merely a guide for management or a theory for leadership.
They are a philosophy of management and of life that transcend religious and
political differences."
The sales phenomenon of The 7 Habits book in Japan has been fueled in
great part by the implementation of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Workshop in hundreds of leading organizations such as NEC, Canon, IBM Japan
and the U.S. Navy. These three-day workshops are available in public, custom,
on-site, and in-house facilitated formats. The public programs in Japan
attract more participants per program than they generally do in the United
States.
From his experience working with executives in hundreds of Japanese
business and government organizations, James Skinner, President and Chairman
of Franklin Covey Japan Co., Ltd., says, "It is becoming increasingly clear
that the old methods of management are not adequate to address the new
challenges of the global economy. Japanese companies are increasingly turning
to the fundamental paradigm shift of leadership before management embodied in
The 7 Habits, and our Asian business continues to grow in spite of the
downturn."
Skinner adds, "During the bubble economy, the Japanese moved away from the
fundamental principles that had underscored their success, and now they are
being forced to pay the price. The old social contract of life employment is
broken, the economy is showing unprecedented levels of unemployment and
negative economic growth has become a reality." Skinner says, "I believe
The 7 Habits and principle-centered leadership, properly understood and
applied, can lead Asia out of economic crisis. The nurturing of personal
integrity, the restoration of high-trust organizational cultures, and the
empowerment of the white collar sector are absolutely key. These driving
forces, including a return to the intense customer focus for which Japan was
famous in the 1980s, are essential to turn this economy around."
Many Japanese businesses agree. Minoru Okuda, President of Toyota Motor
Corporation, has called The 7 Habits, "one of mankind's greatest treasures,"
and Jinnosuke Miyai, former President of the Japan Productivity Center says,
"The 7 Habits will likely become a great source of personal transformation for
the Japanese people." Noboru Takano, President of Ritz Carlton Hotel Company
of Japan said, "The 7 Habits are the foundation of our company's management
training program."
Covey says that while his books have been successful in Asia, it is the
principles embodied within the books which are key to economic success. "The
strength of the principles lies in their application by the people of Asia who
have strong traditions of respecting and honoring these universal laws. I
have no doubt that their indomitable spirit coupled with principle-centered
living will enable them to create and return to a strong economic future,
influencing the entire world market."
Franklin Covey (NYSE: FC) trains more than 750,000 people annually
worldwide. More than 15 million people worldwide use its planners, agendas and
training products. There are 121 Franklin Covey stores worldwide which
provide individuals, families and organizations "Tools For Highly Effective
Living."
SOURCE Franklin Covey Co.
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Related links:
http://www.franklincovey.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/107086.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 107086
CONTACT:
Debra Lund, 801-496-4249, LundD@7habits.com,
or Lanae Clark, 801-496-4241, ClarkL@7habits.com, both of
Franklin Covey Co.
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