Working Close to People, Lighting the Way: How Naganuma Works at Seven-Eleven Japan

Naganuma began playing soccer in first grade, influenced by his older brother. After being praised for his coordination and body control, he quickly became deeply engaged in the sport. In elementary school, he served as vice-captain, and throughout his elementary and junior high years, he supported his team as a defensive playmaker.

In high school, Naganuma had assumed he would continue playing in the same position. However, his high school coach told him he would be switching positions.

"We had a large team of about 40 players, with a very deep roster. There were players who could perform the playmaker role better than I could, so I understood what the coach was saying. Still, it wasn’t something I could easily accept."

Even so, Naganuma chose to trust his coach’s decision, believing it was made with his best-suited position in mind.

"The new position required me to support my teammates in both offense and defense. To coordinate effectively, I had to observe my teammates’ play closely on a daily basis and stay in sync with them. Looking back, I feel that this change in position helped me truly appreciate the joy of team play."

Rather than being at the center of the team, he chose to contribute to it.
This mindset continued even after he retired from soccer.

"After entering university, I wanted to experience as many different things as possible, so I took on a wide range of part-time jobs. I even helped out at a shrine at one point. The job I stuck with the longest was working as a tutor. To be honest, I initially started because the pay and conditions were appealing. But over time, the ‘thank you’ I received from students as they graduated from the school became something truly meaningful to me."

By the time he began his job search, Naganuma had set his sights on finding a career where he could be directly involved in people’s lives.
Another major influence on him was his father, who had been stationed in China.

"During my summer vacation in high school, I visited him in China, and he even took me to his workplace. Watching him negotiate in an environment where the language and culture were completely different was incredibly inspiring. That experience sparked my desire to work overseas someday."

His wish to support others closely, along with his aspiration to work abroad—

While searching for a job that could fulfill both, Naganuma learned about the OFC role at (SEJ). As an OFC, he works alongside franchise owners, providing a wide range of management support and consultation. Moreover, as part of a globally expanding company like Seven-Eleven, there are opportunities to work overseas.
For Naganuma, it was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the perfect job.

After joining Seven-Eleven Japan (SEJ), Naganuma began building his career as an OFC, just as he had hoped. He was assigned to the Niigata and Hokuriku area in his second year with the company.

"Living alone for the first time in an unfamiliar city, and with only limited work experience, everything felt like trial and error. Still, I had a strong determination to start from scratch and make it on my own in a place where no one knew me."

What he focused on was consistently putting into practice the "three ways of listening" he had learned during training: simply hearing, actively listening, and asking questions. Among these, the one he was most conscious of was "asking."

"If I only made proposals from my side, communication with the franchise owners would become one-sided. By first asking how they want to run their stores and then offering my suggestions, I was able to build trust with them through this ongoing process."

Working side by side with franchise owners as if they were one team, Naganuma became an OFC who consistently supported them with a positive attitude and, at times, took the lead.

In 2020, as the impact of COVID-19 spread and the environment surrounding stores changed dramatically, his approach remained unchanged.

"Because both sales and customer traffic were underperforming, I deliberately chose to share ambitious goals. I believed that if we had a clear target to aim for, both the owners and I could move forward without hesitation."

At the same time, Naganuma proposed enhancing the store with POP displays to complement various product promotions. Even if only for a short time, he wanted customers to feel uplifted while shopping at 7-Eleven.

As a result, during sales campaigns for items such as burritos and Chinese steamed buns held amid the pandemic, the stores under his charge achieved their targets. As if sweeping away the heavy atmosphere, smiles returned to the stores.

Currently, as a district leader, Naganuma supports a team of nine OFCs. Unlike when he first arrived alone in the Niigata and Hokuriku region, he now has colleagues to work alongside and a partner to support each other. Even as his professional and personal life grows more fulfilling, his aspiration to work overseas remains as strong as ever.

He actively participates in the in-house English training program at Seven-Eleven Japan (Seven-Eleven English Training), aiming to one day be involved with Seven-Eleven operations abroad.

"The image of my father I saw in China is still my inspiration. If someday I could say to my child, ‘The 7-Eleven in this country was built by your dad,’ that would be amazing."

Finally, we asked Naganuma to describe his working style in terms of color.

"I want to be like the sun—someone who can shine a light not only on stores in Japan, but also around the world. In that sense, I’d say orange. At the same time, I’m also aware that I play a behind-the-scenes role supporting others, so in that respect, green might also fit."

The struggles and growth he experienced on the soccer field. Rising from those moments, Naganuma came to aspire to work for the sake of others—and his "orange" story continues to unfold.

This text has been translated using an automatic translation tool.