What Emerges from the "Unseen": What is Blind Communication?

"We've established our purpose, but employees aren't making it their own."
"I feel a disconnect between the purpose set by the organization and who I want to be."
We often hear concerns lately about a gap emerging between organizations and individuals regarding purpose.

PR Consulting Dentsu Inc. has developed the "Vision Quest" workshop, incorporating the concepts and methods of "Blind Communication." This workshop encourages individuals and organizations to articulate what they have valued up to now and how they wish to be moving forward, supporting various companies and groups.

This article explores the development background and features of "Vision Quest," as well as the essence and potential of Blind Communication, through interviews with Yuta Ishii, who was involved in its development, and Blind Communicator Kensuke Ishii, as told by PR Consulting Dentsu Inc.

*This article is based on content originally published on the PR Consulting Dentsu Inc. website, supplemented with additional interviews and re-edited.

 

Yuta Ishii: Chief Consultant and Manager, Corporate Communications Division 2, Stakeholder Engagement Bureau, PR Consulting Dentsu Inc. Born in 1979. Since joining PR Consulting Dentsu Inc., he has been involved in the entire spectrum of communication strategy, addressing diverse issues ranging from the environment to human rights. He currently focuses on corporate branding that aims to achieve both social and economic impact. Typically seen with a shaved head and white T-shirt.

 

Kensuke Ishii: Blind Communicator / Radio Personality. Born in 1979. After working in apparel and interior design, he became a freelance sales and PR professional. In April 2016, he lost his sight overnight but returned to society with lightness and flexibility. Following employment at "Dialogue in the Dark," he began working as a Blind Communicator in 2021. He conducts workshops and lectures to connect the visible and invisible worlds in a pop culture context, and works as a radio personality. Additionally, since 2012 before his blindness, he has offered original sessions combining rocking technique and voice-guided mindfulness meditation with Craniosacral Therapy. Completed UCSD-certified Navigating Life's Challenges "MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)" program. https://kensukeishii.com/

<Table of Contents>

▼How the "Rule" of Not Using Vision Unleashes Human Creativity

▼Shutting Down Our Over-Reliance on "Vision" to Explore Words from the Depths of Our Being

▼Supporting Purpose Infusion Through Blind Communication Techniques

▼Regenerating the Innate Autonomy Everyone Possesses

▼Effective for Job Hunting Too! Expanding Possibilities

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The "rule" of not using sight unlocks human creativity

──First, please tell us about how you two met.

Yuta Ishii (Yuta): It started about six years ago when I was invited to lead a workshop at "Dialogue in the Dark" (※1). Kensuke was working there as an attendant (※2) and participated in the workshop. Since then, we've been work colleagues and have maintained a family-like relationship.

※1 A social entertainment experience in complete darkness, guided by the voices of visually impaired staff. Participants use senses other than sight and communication to experience how human connections are nurtured and maintained. https://did.dialogue.or.jp/about/

※2 Visually impaired staff members who guide sighted participants (people without visual impairments) within "Dialogue in the Dark."

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Ishii Kensuke (hereafter Kensuke): It was a training session to learn "PR thinking," but he conveyed the content in simple words. The keywords Yuta-kun taught me back then still stick with me today.

Yuta: I'm glad to hear that, but the pre-workshop planning hit wall after wall right up until the event (laughs). For a typical workshop, I'd explain the overview while projecting polished PowerPoint materials onto a screen. But since Kensuke and the other attendants have visual impairments, they couldn't see the materials. The staff kept asking me things like, "What is PR Thinking in a nutshell?" or "How should we even think about society in the first place?" I had to think desperately. But trying to explain using only my own words, without the aid of materials, just didn't work... I was agonizing over this when an attendant suggested, "Why don't you try not using your eyes either, Yuta-san?" So, we held the meetings with the rule of wearing blindfolds. It felt like memories and words buried deep within me started bubbling up one after another. What finally emerged was something like the words you'd find on the very first page of a PR textbook.

This "rule" of conversing without sight wasn't about finding correctness; it felt closer to the thrilling excitement of a "game" exploring questions without answers. Through this experience, I became aware that when we're unaware of how much we rely on sight, we end up thinking we "understand" things when we really don't.

Shutting off the "vision" we rely on too much in daily life and exploring the words deep within our gut

──Tell us about the impetus for developing the "Vision Quest" workshop.

Yuta: Over the past four or five years, we've seen a rise in clients asking us to "create their purpose or vision" or saying "we created one, but it hasn't permeated the company." Around that time, I was listening to Kensuke's radio show , " The Invisible Me: Listen and See, " and heard him and a guest take on this crazy challenge: eating a Kiyoken "Shumai Bento" without using their sight (laughs).

Kensuke: The "Kiyoken Challenge," right? (laughs). Listeners found it fun and even posted on social media saying, "I tried eating the Shumai Bento blindfolded too!" It's surprisingly tough—like accidentally eating the "apricot" you saved for last partway through, or struggling to use the soy sauce and mustard properly. (laughs).

Yuta: Hearing about Kensuke and the others' "Kiyoken Challenge" made me realize that shutting off "vision," something so many people rely on in daily life, drastically changes the ordinary and turns everything into a game.

Every day, we look at text and photos on social media, check video content at double speed... I don't think there's ever been an era more flooded with visual information than today. We're unconsciously dependent on sight, I suppose. That's precisely why I hypothesize that by shutting off "sight," creating an environment for deep introspection and dialogue with others, a person's truly important feelings and fundamental thoughts might emerge as words from deep within their gut. Furthermore, when you can no longer rely on "sight" for communication, wouldn't you have to get creative to convey your message to the other person?

By shutting off "visuals," we create an environment that maximizes latent creativity. There, employees can reexamine purpose and vision. If they find overlap between the company's purpose and their own convictions, each employee can discover meaning in working for the company. Consequently, more employees become happier, making the company more attractive. I thought closing off "visuals" could solve our client's challenge of "purpose and vision not resonating with employees," so I asked Kensuke if he'd help me create a workshop.

Supporting Purpose Integration Through Blind Communication Techniques

──After receiving Yuta's request, what were your thoughts, Kensuke?

Kensuke: Since entering the world of the visually impaired in 2016, I've designed various "games" based on my own experiences, where "not seeing" is one of the rules. The "Sakioken Challenge" we mentioned earlier is a good example. When rules are set, everything becomes more challenging than when everything is free, and people's creativity gets stimulated. For example, in soccer, you can't use your hands except for the goalkeeper, and in rugby, you can't throw forward. I think setting rules that might seem unreasonable makes the game more fun and makes people passionate about figuring out how to succeed within those constraints.

When Yuta consulted me, I wanted to create a game that offered challenges right there in the office where we always work—not some special place. Under the rule of temporarily blocking our vision, we'd explore how deeply we could dive into ourselves, how to express the words emerging from our innermost depths so they could be understood by others, and how much new value we could discover through communication with others.

Yuta: If we're creating a game (workshop) to explore corporate purpose and personal purpose, our value lies in how creatively we can shape that space. So, we formed a team: three "Blind Communicators"—including Kensuke—who bridge the gap between "sighted people" and "blind people (and those with near-blindness)," plus three of us from PR Consulting Dentsu Inc. Through repeated dialogue, we created "Vision Quest." This workshop uses the approach of "Blind Communication"—exchanging messages solely through words while vision is blocked—to explore and discover the overlap between a company's purpose and the participants' own personal purpose. Its key point is not just closing one's eyes, but entering a world of guided exploration facilitated by the Blind Communicators and PR Consultants.

The facilitator (left) encourages thought and dialogue, drawing out the creativity and agency within participants whose vision is obscured.

──What exactly do you do in the workshop?

Yuta: Participants in "Vision Quest" wear blindfolds to block their vision in familiar spaces like their office conference room. Under facilitation, they engage in introspection. Starting from the year 203X—10 to 15 years in the future—they work backward to discover and articulate the intersection between "My Purpose" (what they aspire to be) and "Corporate Purpose" (what they wish the company could be) through dialogue with fellow participants. The work values not only the future but also the past and present, exploring "what the individual and the company have valued up to now." Finding the intersection of these two purposes helps individuals discover how they want to work within the company's desired future state. Conversely, if a significant gap emerges between the company's "ideal state" and employees' "personal aspirations," it may signal a time to reconsider the company's purpose or vision. This process creates an opportunity to explore a form of happiness beneficial for both the company and its individuals.

Since you can't check notes or your phone, you become aware of your own "I think I understand" mindset.

Kensuke: While a company's purpose or vision is defined in words, I believe it's perfectly fine for each employee to interpret it differently. In the past, many organizations might have taken a top-down approach, demanding, "This is our philosophy, so act accordingly." But that's not the case anymore. What matters most now is that both the company and its employees continuously explore a better state of well-being. I believe the true meaning lies in using the company's purpose and vision to help each employee joyfully keep searching for their "fundamental questions" and "future direction." That's why I chose the word "Quest" (exploration/adventure) for the workshop name.

Yuta: While "Quest" and "Question" share the same root, in this workshop, it can also be seen as an endeavor to explore a future without definitive answers through questioning oneself and others. It creates a foundation for acknowledging what you, I, and the company have valued and wish to continue valuing, and for considering how we can each realize what we hold dear within the same organization. Unlike training that ends after one session, Vision Quest is a catalyst for continually exploring your personal and company purpose.

It regenerates the inherent agency within everyone.

──What kind of feedback have you received from workshop participants?

Yuta: We often hear comments like, "I was surprised to hear myself say things I'd never normally say—things like 'This is what I really want to do!' or 'I love this aspect of our company,' or 'I'm so glad I get to work with these colleagues.'" I think the blind communication at the core of Vision Quest is an effective approach for updating everyday communication and getting to the heart of things.

Kensuke: We also received feedback like, "I realized I often use buzzwords at work without truly understanding them. I now want to explain things to clients using simpler language." With your eyes closed, even if you think, "I want to say this more coolly" or "I want to check common opinions before speaking," you can't immediately look it up on your phone, and you can't even see your notes. It's precisely because we engage in deep dialogue with many people, using every word we have, that we can rediscover each other's thoughts and appeal – those fuzzy feelings not yet formed into words, or values so obvious we don't even notice them.

──What sets Vision Quest apart from other workshops?

After focusing on word choice and tone, you naturally start aiming for a way of speaking that conveys your message effortlessly.

Yuta: While many workshops aim for consensus-building or idea generation, "Vision Quest" is a workshop designed to "regenerate participants' sense of agency." It involves deep reflection on the company, oneself, and fellow participants. Through the process of exploring what truly matters in their own words, participants develop a fondness for their company and colleagues and feel a deeper connection. Recognizing commonalities and differences with others helps them grasp the meaning of working at the company and strengthens trust with both the company and their peers. Ultimately, this heightens the engagement of each individual employee.

Kensuke: While questioning the "fundamentals" might seem like an activity with poor cost or time efficiency at first glance, I believe that establishing these "fundamentals" as the core axis for each employee ultimately raises overall productivity. Every company and every employee has their own history and a future they aspire to. Experiencing the "Vision Quest" once allows you to truly grasp the importance of artificially creating a dedicated time and space to move back and forth along the timeline.

Yuta: Especially companies with long histories spanning 100 or 200 years, often facing a mid-life crisis, frequently struggle with embedding purpose. I hope the Vision Quest can become a catalyst for each employee to rediscover their inherent sense of agency.

A workshop where deep, honest dialogue can happen across all positions

Effective for job hunting too! Expanding possibilities

──What are your thoughts on the future potential of "Vision Quest" and its foundational blind communication?

Yuta: I believe "Vision Quest" can be utilized in various scenarios exploring the future—not just for embedding corporate purpose, but also for supporting young people's careers and resident-led community development.

Kensuke: Recently, Professor Hiromi Ozaki from Tamagawa University invited us to conduct a "Vision Quest" with Yuta for 20 students from the Faculty of Arts.

College students exploring career plans through blind communication

Yuta: We asked the students to return to their roots by reflecting on their original motivation for choosing the Faculty of Arts. From there, they explored their desired selves and the ideal state of society ten years from now. One memorable post-workshop comment stood out: "By articulating my future vision of 'wanting to be an actor' with my eyes closed, I realized for the first time my specific aspiration: to become a great supporting actor who shines in leading roles at small theaters."

Kensuke: What struck me was this reflection: "When imagining myself ten years from now, the first thing that came to mind wasn't art, but 'marriage.' Discovering how significant 'marriage' is to me was a revelation." The person seemed genuinely delighted by this new insight.

Yuta: Many also shared that "since I didn't need to read others' expressions while speaking, I could really focus on my own thoughts and images, and on what the other person was saying." We learned that blind communication is easy to adopt, whether for young students or seasoned professionals, and its effectiveness is the same for everyone.

The power of blind communication lies in words flowing naturally from the gut. Leveraging this feature, we're pioneering new initiatives like "audio-based internal newsletters" and "audio-based recruitment communications" based on blind dialogues, packed with genuine feelings and true thoughts. These convey emotions, honesty, and sincerity that polished text or polished videos cannot, offering a fresh approach that resonates deeply with current and future employees. I believe the audio content created through blind communication holds the potential to update existing communication methods.

Kensuke: It's true that recent job seekers can spot "polished, fake stuff" right away (laughs). I think it also has great potential as a communication method that conveys genuine feelings.
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▶ Announcement: Free Vision Quest Trial Session (October 16, 2024)
▶ View the service introduction materials for "Vision Quest," an interactive workshop exploring the future
▶ Listen to Audio! Hear about PR Consulting Dentsu Inc.'s Blind Workshop "Vision Quest" ("PRX Studio Q" Official Note)
▶ What is "Blind Communication"? | We asked PR veterans ("PRX Studio Q" official note)

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