Athlete Brains: Dai Tamesue's "Fluid Pacing" vol.11

A serialized interview column where Mr. Dai Tamesue freely discusses "things on his mind right now." The only set theme is "What is autonomy? What is tolerance?" Faced with unreasonable demands from a mysterious "interviewer," Mr. Tamesue shares his thoughts on various "things on his mind." Well then. What kind of stories will emerge this time...? Stay tuned.

──This interview, themed "What is loneliness?", finally reaches its conclusion. Last time, we touched on how "trust" is crucial for overcoming loneliness in all human relationships. After all, engaging with others or throwing yourself into work just because you're lonely isn't a fundamental solution, right?

Tametsu: Exactly. The key point here is that building trust takes time. You often see this at diplomatic summits: people carrying their countries' interests into talks can easily get bogged down in backroom deals, searching for a "compromise." But I don't think that builds real trust.

──Like shaking hands and calling it a day.

Tamese: Exactly. I think a relationship like "good rivals" fosters good trust. Like, "Damn, this guy's good." When someone catches the pass you throw and returns something beyond what you expected, that's when respect for the other person, or true trust, emerges. Right now, whether in companies, families, or society, I feel a kind of "loneliness" is spreading. I think the essence of that is the fading sense of being able to truly trust someone from the heart.

──I get it, I get it. Lately, the term "tacit knowledge" has been thrown around a lot. It means let's digitize as much of each person's work methods as possible and share them with everyone. Let's stop working based on unspoken understanding. At first glance, it seems like it could free us from loneliness, but somehow, I feel uneasy about it.

Tamesue: I understand completely.

Tamesue: There's a management dilemma: "To keep the company going, you can't depend on just one talented person." But the moment you digitize that know-how and share it with everyone, it basically becomes, "So anyone could do that job, right?"

──It's a tricky balance, isn't it?

Tametsu: Exactly. That's why I'm skeptical about digitizing everything and basing conversations solely on data. When people talk about tacit knowledge, it often carries this image of "You should just know that without being told. Read the room." But here's how I see it: "Even information that reaches you unconsciously holds immense value." There's a term like the cocktail party effect – where, amidst a crowd of people chatting, the information you need suddenly catches your ear. I think that's something you simply can't experience through something like searching online.

──Ah, that was the real thrill for company employees back in the day too. Stories I overheard by chance while drinking with seniors late at night—they still stick with me.

Tametsu: Exactly. Stories that just jump into your ears when you weren't even looking for them. That kind of thing
really stick with you.

──Well, when someone says, "Alright, time for feedback meetings now," it doesn't resonate with you, does it? Because it doesn't resonate, everyone just gets more and more "lonely. "

Tamesue: I think the most important thing in building trust between people
is "being honest." To be specific, it means "speak up early about things you dislike." It's okay if the other person thinks, "This guy's a pain," for a moment. When that feeling of "He's a pain, but I don't dislike him" starts to grow, that's when true
trust can be built.

──That must be where many business leaders' struggles lie too.

Tametsu: I agree. While I believe "emotional favoritism" in management and HR should be avoided at all costs, I think it's acceptable to show favoritism after clearly stating your will or criteria, like "this is what I want to do."

──We started with the theme of "loneliness," and ended up expanding the conversation to leadership and management theory. Thank you again for your time this time.

Tamesue: My pleasure. It was enjoyable and full of new discoveries.

(Interviewer: Web Dentsu Inc. Editorial Department)

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From the Athlete Brains Production Team, Shiraishi

Building trust in the post-COVID era and amid work-style reforms—this is an area I'm still exploring myself. In today's world demanding both "efficiency" and "effectiveness," isn't this a challenge many of us grapple with to some degree? This column contained many points and perspectives that could contribute to solving this. One of them is "openness" – not one-sided, not superficial. It's easier said than done, but we at Athlete Brains want to take this opportunity to strongly focus on and promote this concept.

Athlete Brains Production Team Dentsu Inc. / Akinori Hibi (3CRP) · Kohei Shiraishi (Business Co-creation Bureau)

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Athlete Brains, spearheaded by Dai Tamesue.
For details on this team that connects the knowledge cultivated by athletes to solving challenges in the world (businesses and society), click here.