Blogs and Articles from Third Way Forum Membrs

・ Although most business communications can be conducted online smoothly, many people still feel something very important is missing. That missing item is probably the opportunity of final confirmation in order to assess the relationship with that person. Such final confirmation can be done only by actually meeting the person.

・ In old days, relationship with company colleagues, boss and subordinates was very deep and very personal. We got to know each other on the personal level. Thus we could work with total mutual understanding. But now it is very difficult to develop that level of deep personal relationship through online meetings.

・ Also, the after-work wining and dining was serving as a great opportunity for the Japanese to talk freely with real opinions and feelings as official meetings during the day were often full of formalities and “Tatemae”. But now it is very difficult to find such a forum where people can share their true opinions.

・ While the values of the traditional relationship building activities and deep personal relationship are understandable, it is probably a good opportunity for the Japanese to learn how to develop personal connection online without relying on time and energy consuming physical togetherness. People of the rest of the world are doing it. So the Japanese should be able to do that too.

・ Having said that however, it is true that online workstyle has forced most meetings so agenda-driven and tightly scheduled. There is hardly any time for spontaneous dialogue which could often generate great ideas and enhance collaboration.

・ So it is advisable to schedule some slack time and agenda-free dialogue in our daily online work as well. Just like companies can not only focus on money making and have to think of sustainable society, our online meetings should not only focus on agenda but also for sustainable human relationship.

・ In the online workstyle, it seems easy for many companies to have a lot of internal conflicts. It is probably because people are always representing their official positions in their respective roles and try to get things done in their own way in many tightly scheduled agenda-driven meetings. They never spend enough time in the effort for finding a common ground because they do not have such a forum where they can just discuss casually human to human rather than department to department.

・ Many large Japanese companies also control the number of employees coming to the office as a risk management measure against the pandemic. So in a meeting, there are usually a group of people in the meeting room and a group of people connecting remotely. If the same people are always online, they could be excluded by the people in the meeting room as they could keep discussing or talk about those who are not physically present. Especially if the boss is always in the office physically, those who chose to work remotely could be discriminated against or unfairly evaluated. Maybe that’s why there are still so many Japanese who would rather come to the office physically even if they are allowed to work at home.

・ Online relationship alone can not help people who actually need some physical help, whether it is about fixing a machine at a factory or delivering an important material or treating some sick or injured people. So it is important to balance and keep relationship building both online as well as physically.

・ Younger generations also use online tools for maintaining friendships. This in particular applies for friends which are not so close that they feel the desire for spending time together in person. At the more extreme end, remote friendships are considered as more convenient and not as cumbersome as physical meet, which requires travel etc.