How should we live in this era? This series addresses this question with "resilience" as the keyword.
This article is brought to you through a dialogue between Mr.Shinichi Yamaguchi, an economist and associate professor at the International University of Japan's GLOCOM, and Kazuhiro Ohashi, General Manager of ITOKI's Advanced Research Division.
This time, we will talk about the last point to consider when adapting to new ways of working: respect for others.
How do you expand your network in this day and age?
Ohashi:The final point for adapting flexibly to new work styles is "respect for others." This is a keyword that is closely related to both "heart" and "communication."
Yamaguchi: Yes, now that teleworking is becoming mainstream due to the COVID-19 pandemic, "socializing" has become a big problem. In other words, opportunities to communicate with people outside and far away have decreased, making it difficult to expand one's "network." So, unless you are very conscious of it, your network will not expand.
This problem is especially evident among new employees. Since they have not been able to come to the office since joining the company, they have lost the opportunity to learn about their work directly from their superiors. Of course, they can communicate online, but it takes a lot of effort and ingenuity to deepen relationships.
However, as we have discussed, creativity is enhanced by listening to and interacting with the experiences of others, and in order to do so, it is essential to expand your network.
Ohashi: That's true, I understand that very well.
Yamaguchi:In that case, it's important to "respect the other person."
For example, in a meeting, there is a person who speaks whatever he likes. This may not be very stressful in a real place, but it is very tough online. When this happens, people gradually distance themselves from this person. In the era of telework, it is absolutely necessary to respect others in order to have rich communication. It seems that the gap between those who can do this and those who cannot is widening in the world of work remotely.
Ohashi:In terms of communication, I'm not a particularly sociable person, but I have a strong curiosity to "meet people and hear what they have to say," so I jump right in. As a result, I think I'm in a situation and way of working where I have many opportunities to meet people. In other words, curiosity is the driving force that broadens my knowledge.
So when I meet people, I try to get into a mode where we're both "let's talk honestly from the first time." It's a waste of time for both myself and the other person to spend time trying to figure out what they're thinking. So I try to be conscious of how I can get the other person to get to know me in the first few minutes, and create an atmosphere and relationship of trust where both I and the other person can say what I want to say.
This is often quite "difficult," but especially when you're online, you don't know how the other person is feeling, so you end up being careful, and before you know it, an hour or two will pass without you being able to talk about what you want to say. Rather than having a meeting where you just say hello and we'll get to the main topic next time, I think it's better to talk about what you want to talk about from the beginning.
Yamaguchi:I think that's a very good thing. Ohashi-san, you mentioned that curiosity is the driving force behind expanding your network. In the first place, the fact that you're meeting someone because you want to hear their story shows that you respect them. On top of that, saying "Let's be frank" should convey to the other person that "I'm interested in me and want to talk frankly."
So your partner will also be having a good time.
Ohashi: I hope that's the case.
Yamaguchi: Being able to have a good time is more important than you might think. No matter what social status the other person has, if you have fun, the time will become a good memory and ultimately deepen your connection. On the other hand, if you just repeat formalities, it will not be a fun time for either of you, and you will end up feeling like "Why are we spending time on this?" I think that in communication, it is important to respect the other person and to quickly get close to them.
Ohashi: Deepening relationships and dialogue with others enriches your experiences, and those experiences have a positive effect on your resilience. So a very positive cycle is created.
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Respect is for others and for yourself.
Isn't this a keyword that we should value even more now than ever?
In the next installment of the "Resilience" series, Part 5, we will be thinking together with the two of them about "tips for increasing resilience without falling into negative thinking."
