"Mr. Zoonie, what is society??" Considering the "Point of Connection" Between Myself and Society (Part 1)

Excerpt from a special discussion featured in the book adaptation of "Why Do You All Start Talking About the Same Things When It Comes to Job Hunting?" This time, we welcomed Ms. Zooni Yamada, a professional in writing and expression, to discuss how to find your connection with society. Ms. Yamada shared that when she quit her company, she felt "cut off from society."

 

"Job Hunting" or "Company Hunting": Which Connects You to Society?

Resignation. It took five years before I could work again.

Kojima: You run many expression and writing workshops, Zoonie. But why did you start offering workshops specifically for job-hunting students?

Yamada: It started with my own experience. I quit Benesse Corporation at age 38 after 16 years to pursue more freedom in my projects, but then I lost my connection to "society."

In Japan, staying connected to society without the box of a company is truly difficult. Subcontracting work was available, but I had left the company wanting to "move forward," so I couldn't bring myself to do that kind of work.

After struggling for a while, I finally found my path as an instructor in writing and expression. That path led me straight back to society, which is why I am who I am today. So, I think it was worth the struggle. It took me five years to find work I could be satisfied with again. People who smoothly progressed through elementary, junior high, high school, university, and then straight into a company might not be able to imagine it, but leaving that box makes connecting with society incredibly difficult.

Yoshida: In other words, companies are like big ships—once you're on board, you hardly ever think about your connection to society. We want people to focus on that. How do you teach about companies and society in your classes, Zuuni-san?

 

Yamada: Job hunting often focuses on "self-realization within a company," but companies exist to generate profits as teams. So I tell students to grasp the team's purpose—the ship's destination.

I think there are many answers to the definition of a company, but its defining feature in a word is "division of labor." You think you're each handling your own specialty within the same ship, but after five or ten years, the scenery you see becomes completely different. When I was at Benesse, I often found I could communicate much better with editors at other companies than with our own internal sales staff.

Kojima: I definitely understand what you mean.

If you choose division of labor, be prepared to invest effort in communication.

Yamada: The gap with your superiors widens even more. It's only natural that planning or production departments wouldn't understand the mindset of someone bearing the weight of billions of yen in pressure, making decisions as if praying.

What's needed then is the work of "translation" – making someone with a completely different perspective understand. You have to put tremendous effort into communication, figuring out exactly how to phrase things to get your point across. People who thrive in corporate settings invest a lot of energy in that aspect.

As a freelancer now, I handle everything myself, but this approach is incredibly tedious in its own way. So it comes down to choosing which kind of hassle you prefer.

Kojima: I think many people change jobs after two or three years saying, "I can't do what I want" or "No one understands me." Is it a lack of communication?

Yamada: More than that, I think the fundamental mistake is not realizing that when you join a company, you've chosen to work in a division of labor.

After all, people get stressed when they feel misunderstood, and hurt when they can't connect. So why join a company, the very embodiment of division of labor? The answer is clear: to impact society in ways an individual could never achieve alone.

Do you connect directly to society through "employment," or do you "join a company" – a place already connected to society by that umbilical cord? If you choose the latter, you must be prepared to temporarily rework your personal aspirations into the specifications of "yourself within the organization" and dedicate effort to mutual understanding. I think this is what's being overlooked, leading to the mismatch.

Kojima: "Job hunting" versus "company hunting" – that really clicked for me. Job hunting actually carries the connotation of "company hunting," doesn't it?

※The second part of this interview will be updated on Friday, January 16.

You can also read it here on Adtai!

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Sendenkaigi Online:http://www.sendenkaigi.com/books/new/3393