【Continued】Local Gurgle [111]The greatest mistakes occur when plans are faithfully executed.
Tomakomai, Hokkaido. My elementary school classmate, Shizuki-kun, who works as a doctor in this town, also recommended the Hokkaido University Tomakomai Research Forest, saying, "It's truly soothing." Locally, this forest is called the "Hokkaido University Experimental Forest."
Its area is a staggering 2,715 hectares. Even the forest of Meiji Jingu Shrine is only about 70 hectares, so it's a scale that's hard to imagine. Within the deep forest created by Ezo spruce and Mizunara oak, the murmuring of the Horonai River flowing through the grounds and the chirping of insects and birds resonate.
However, this forest too had been left to run wild until recently. Forestry experts came and went, repeatedly experimenting based on "scientific evidence," resulting in dead trees becoming conspicuous and the entire area looking gaunt. It was then that Iwanaga Kenkichi, an expert on iwana trout, was assigned there. The details of this period are covered in the essay "The Story of People and Forests: Japanese People and Urban Forests" (Shueisha Shinsho) by Norio Ikeuchi, a German literature scholar. Despite criticism labeling him an "amateur idealist," the outsider forest manager Ishiki remained unyielding, tackling improvements with unwavering conviction.
"Whether in forestry or river management, the greatest mistakes in work involving nature occur precisely when plans are executed faithfully."
Manuals and master plans, the moment they are created, stop people from thinking for themselves. All they need to do is follow the lines. Yet nature never follows a manual; it changes dramatically based on the slightest conditions, regardless of any master plan. How much of nature has been sacrificed to "plan execution"?
From "The Story of People and Forests: The Japanese and Urban Woodlands" by Norio Ikeuchi (Shueisha Shinsho)
Instead of a master plan, they drew wisdom from the experience of the members working on-site. For example, they decided that one wetland would be open for any member to bring in whatever they wanted, and that what would thrive there would be "left to the plants to decide."
What do you think? Couldn't we rephrase this as: "The greatest mistake work for the market makes is when the plan is faithfully executed," and "The market never follows the manual; it changes dramatically based on the slightest conditions, regardless of master plans. How many businesses have fallen victim to 'plan execution'?"
The "Spinning Thinking" methodology for creating "That's the way to do it!" is a mode for refining the steps to obtain concrete solutions. Here, following the "concept" that points to a new direction, we must create concrete solutions that overturn conventional wisdom.
The greatest appeal of concepts like "Third Place," "Flying Bus," or "Art is an Explosion" lies in their ability to intuitively share a direction not found along the existing trajectory. This allows professional skills to be reassembled and reconstructed from scratch.
However, in reality, once a "concept" is established, there are (quite a few) people who immediately want to create manuals or master plans to tighten control. This stifles the individual creativity of project members, inevitably lowering the probability of discovering that "aha!" moment. Guaranteeing a degree of freedom on the ground is crucial.
Another wonderful thing about the Hokkaido University Experimental Forest is that just a short 10-minute drive by car brings you to the finest "seafood." So, aiming for Tomakomai's famous Hokki clams, I rushed over again this time. But apparently, June is the spawning season, and fishing is prohibited. It can't be helped, but oh! I want to savor the large, thick, sweet Tomakomai clams with their unique texture!
Come to think of it, the autumn foliage at Hokkaido University's Experimental Forest is said to be spectacular. Fishing should resume by then, so maybe I'll go again?
Please, enjoy!
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Author
Sōo Yamada
Dentsu Inc.
Meiji Gakuin University Part-time Lecturer (Business Administration) Using "concept quality management" as its core technique, this approach addresses everything from advertising campaigns and TV program production to new product/business development and revitalizing existing businesses and organizations—all through a unique "indwelling" style that immerses itself in the client's environment. Founder of the consulting service "Indwelling Creators." Served as a juror at the 2009 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (Media category), among other roles. Recipient of numerous awards. His books, "The Textbook of Ideas: Dentsu Inc.'s Circular Thinking" and "How to Create Concepts: Dentsu Inc.'s Ideation Methods Useful for Product Development" (both published by Asahi Shimbun Publications), have been translated and published overseas (in English, Thai, and the former also in Korean).
