Kaz is such a welcoming and comforting presence at the CCF Makati Women of Worth ministry.

She is funny, loving, candid, natural, and friendly. She’s Japanese but weaves in and out of Tagalog phrases casually like a true Pinoy 🙂 She loves the Lord and is a loving wife, mother, discipler, and businesswoman.   By her humility and simplicity, you might think she has a hobby business but she actually holds a lot of responsibility with four hundred twenty people under her wing!

Kazue Yamada Salud is Chairman and CEO of Elite Jinzai Marketing Services, Inc., with the mission:

To educate, equip, empower, encourage, and edify people to help them reach their God-given potential to fulfil His mission for their lives in the marketplace.

This is her response to,  “How do you guard your walk while pursuing excellence?”

We all know that the Christian Life is impossible without Christ in the center of our lives. We can never do anything on our own. We need the Word, the prayers, accountability, and fellowship with other mature Christians.

As I run my business, I see the need to balance “Christian love and understanding” and “Pursuing Excellence for the LORD”, without compromising.  

My employees, my clients all know that I am a Christian, so there is already a line that I placed, not to isolate myself and act holy, but for them to know that I am sanctified and for accountability, that I am trying to follow Christ no matter the cost.

However there are times when people, especially my employees, will take advantage of the fact that I am Christian. One big issue is “forgiveness”. How many times do I need to forgive a wrongdoing of an employee? As a Christian, you forgive your fellow Christian forever, because God forgave, and He commands us to forgive. However, there are rules and regulations set forth. Just the same as following the laws of the Land. God does command us to follow the worldly authority that is given to us. In the same manner, so with the rules and guidelines in the workplace.

I work based on Labor Code, “due justice”. I counsel, and I issue memos to any employee, who is unable to make the standard set forth in the company, especially compliance. After certain period, if that employee still fails to comply or to improve, I give them an option to resign or I terminate them based on the memos I have issued to them.  [DOLE will appreciate our company for following their guidelines and documenting everything. We need to be consistent in this because we are issued Certificate of Compliance from DOLE. Also I am considering applying for ISO; Process and Documentation become very important.]

It may sound cold and cruel. However, God said also, that we should be good stewards of the things He has entrusted to us. If a person is seen to be tolerated by management for not performing, it brings down the morale of those who are performing well. I have learned this and made my employees also feel and experience the consequences of non-performing employees.

I have learned especially in the Philippines, Quality Standards must be taught.  Many of the people we hire do not have the same social background, economic status, nor education. It is so hard to require them the same common sense you have, if they did not have similar upbringing. That does not mean you should lower your standards, but explain, why it is needed. This has to be done continuously and relentlessly. That is why it is very important that the HRD and trainers are well-trained by you.

Just like us, God never gives up on us, God never lowers his standards, but He makes us understand it in time, through His word, His people and through your disobedience, the bad experiences. Sometimes, you may have to make a decision.   Will this person change? Can this person change? Give them the benefit of the doubt. But then until when? That employee may not change working with you, but may change when he or she loses their job. They will realize later on everything you have taught them had value. They may ask to come back, then it becomes another challenge for you.I will not divulge too much, because, consultancy is part of my company’s services, but definitely, in training up your employees, you yourself must be consistent in everything you do, because all your employees are watching. For me that is the most difficult part. Thus, I am always asking them to pray for my walk, protection of my testimony.

Thank you, Kaz, for most kindly sharing your wisdom and experience in the workplace. May the Lord continue to prosper you in every way as you seek to glorify Him through your life and work!  You are a wonderful woman of God whom I admire!  Praise God for the blessing that you are to your family, to your employees, to women in the ministry that you serve, and to people all around you who are touched by your life!