A Classroom Connecting You and Society [9]What Does "Working Authentically" Really Mean? (Part 2)
Following the previous event, to commemorate the publication of "Why Do You All Start Talking About the Same Things When It Comes to Job Hunting? " (Published by Sendenkaigi), Masahide Yoshida, head of Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department (nicknamed Wakamon), Kao Tsuda of Sony, and university professor Tatsuro Sato gathered to delve deeper into what it means to "work authentically."
Define Your Work Axis Based on Your Core Values
Yoshida: To work authentically, it's crucial to start not with job types or companies, but with what you possess and what you won't compromise on. To aid this process, the " Connecting Yourself and Society Classroom Project " used a "Desired Job Setting Sheet" in university workshops. This sheet helps you define the "work" you want based on your core values, then explore specific industries, work styles, and job types that align with those values.
Sato: We do something similar in advertising work, right? Rather than immediately focusing on specific targets like age or gender, setting the essential target based on the value elements of the product or service expands its possibilities.
Yoshida: Your value elements don't necessarily have to be positive. For me, while I "enjoy teamwork" and "love expression," I also have aspects like "don't want to work" and "hate hassle." There are various other value elements, and the "work" derived from them is "being able to constantly plan new futures with a team in a free environment with free thinking." This is the core principle for me to work authentically. And as examples of job types that can realize this, urban development, advertising, and television come up as candidates. Of course, I didn't write this when I was a student, but it really resonates with me.
Tsuda: When I wrote mine, it turned into a travel guide (laughs). But firmly recognizing this core is important not just for job seekers, but for working adults too. Reflecting on this core at milestones like 3, 5, or 10 years into your career helps you return to your roots.
Sato: The strength of this worksheet is that it prevents you from just thinking about what you want to do in isolation. Instead, it helps you deeply engage with your core values and consider where they connect with society.
Yoshida: What can you contribute? Once you fill in the "Desired Work" section, that should naturally become clear. This thought process remains the same even after entering the workforce. Whether you're trying to persuade your boss or convince your wife to buy a car (laughs), it's only when you can translate how you'll be useful to the other person that persuasion or requests become achievable.
The optimal environment (= company) revealed by connecting yourself to society
Yoshida: While some people say, "I don't know what I want to do," others agonize over, "I have something I want to do, but I don't know if it's useful (or profitable)."
Sato: That's something you just have to try to find out, right? I actually wanted to be a musician, but I gave up on that pretty early. I vaguely wanted to be a copywriter, but I thought writing might be too painful, so I tried taking a course at the Advertising Conference. Of course, writing was tough, but I managed to keep at it. I even won a few excellence awards, so I thought, "Maybe I can do this."
Yoshida: Just watching from afar without taking action is the biggest waste. If you try something and it doesn't work out, or if the research gets too tough, you can always turn back.
Sato: You won't know how painful it might be until you try. That's why personal prototyping is so valuable. Not just writing poetry you like, but trying things that could become business opportunities through course assignments or similar.
Tsuda: I also often use the word "experiment" for new activities or unofficial projects. It's an exciting word, too.
Sato: Nowadays, websites are often improved through A/B testing, right?
Tsuda: Your first year in the workforce is like the ultimate beta launch, right? (laughs)
Yoshida: Exactly. So, that earlier idea of "the work you want to do" – once you decide on it, you might feel like you have to carry it like a cross. But it's okay to change course along the way. Sato-san, back then, becoming a professor wasn't an option for you either, but it changed as you entered society and gained various experiences, right?
Sato: Exactly. After turning 50, I realized sharing my real-world experiences with students could be valuable. Society is changing rapidly, and lifetime employment might decline. All three of us here have changed jobs. You can view your first company as a starting point for 3 or 5 years. If it suits you after working there, stay.
Yoshida: Exactly. Consider both "yourself" and "society" (who you can help, who you want to help), then choose an environment (industry or company) where both can thrive. If you start by focusing on the industry or company, you end up trying to force yourself into that mold, writing an entry sheet tailored to fit that specific company. I call this the "ES beauty" phenomenon (laughs). Even if you study a company's website and try to embody their "ideal candidate profile," you'll just end up like every other applicant. And even if you get hired, you'll face a mismatch once you start working.
Tsuda: Exactly. This isn't limited to job hunting. Your authentic way of working isn't determined by landing a job offer. You keep searching, keep searching. Some, like Professor Sato, become professors. Others, like me, create work in Fujimi Town, away from Tokyo. When I was 22, I wanted to live in Shibuya (laughs).
Yoshida: Your life path isn't set in stone at 22, and landing a job offer isn't the finish line. Yet, when writing application essays, that mindset creeps in. The system pushing students into this corner is part of the problem. Precisely because of this, I want them to dig deep into themselves, think things through thoroughly, and refine their vision for work. Honestly, the program described in this book is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. But I believe it's only by going through that journey that you can find a place where you can truly be yourself at work.
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Author
Tatsuro Sato
Professor, Tama Art University
After graduating from Hitotsubashi University's Faculty of Social Sciences, he joined Asatsu-DK. Progressing through roles as Copywriter and Creative Director, he later served as Director of the Creative Planning Bureau and Head of the Creative Strategy Division, overseeing personnel, organization, training, and vision formulation for a department of approximately 200 members. In 2004, he earned an MBA from Aoyama Gakuin University. He then moved to Hakuhodo DY in 2009, serving as Executive Creative Director, and has held his current position since 2011. Currently, alongside teaching, he expands his activities into various fields including writing, lecturing, training, planning, and consulting. His publications include: * The Third Way of Working: For Those Who Hate Being Corporate Slaves or Freelancers (Asa Publishing) * 44 Things I Did to Deliver Results as a Team Leader, Even Though I Had No Leadership Skills (Jitsumu Kyoiku Publishing) * The Art of Advertising Yourself (Kodansha +α Shinsho) * 37 Ways to Speak Without Getting Nervous in Front of People: So Your Mind Doesn't Go Blank During the Real Deal (Diamond Inc.)
Tsuda Kao
Sony Corporation
After graduating from the Faculty of Environmental Information at Musashi Institute of Technology in 2001, he joined the advertising agency Tokyu Agency. His work focused on planning advertising communications, primarily in the web/social media domain, and developing new technologies, media, and services. He joined Sony at the end of 2011. Within Sony's cloud platform strategy, he planned and designed cloud services and systems spanning various hardware products. Additionally, as a personal project, he is executing the "Fujimi Town Telework Town Project" in collaboration with Fujimi Town, Suwa District, Nagano Prefecture. This project promotes telework (remote work) using vacant houses in the town. He supports the project's planning and PR. He himself has relocated to Fujimi Town and plans to practice a nature-coexisting workstyle and engage in community design for the region while teleworking for his Tokyo-based job.
Masahide Yoshida
Dentsu Inc.
After graduating from university and working at a previous company, I joined Dentsu Inc. After roles as a strategic planner and in sales, I now belong to Dentsu Business Design Square, which revitalizes overall management with ideas, implementing joint projects with various companies. I also concurrently serve on the "Dentsu Youth Research Department" (Dentsu Wakamon) project targeting teens and young adults, engaging in consumer psychology and trend analysis, and developing consulting/communication plans based on these insights. Winner of the 2009 JAAA Advertising Essay Contest, Newcomer Division. Solo-authored works include 'Antenna Power' (Mikasa Shobo, 2019). Co-authored works include 'The Youth Exodus' (MDN Corporation, 2016) and 'Why Do You All Start Talking About the Same Things When It Comes to Job Hunting?' (Sendenkaigi, 2014). PARC CERTIFIED FIELDWORKER (Certified Ethnographer).
