[Series Part 4] The Value of the 'Invisible Work' Required of Supporters: How Unobtrusive Behind-the-Scenes Work Changed My Career
In the workplaces and communities where we spend our daily lives, an invisible 'power of support' is quietly at work.
In a company, this means the person who carefully organizes meeting materials.
The person who prepares the space in advance so that participants can speak with peace of mind.
The person who naturally steps in to help without blaming anyone for being late.
I believe that organizations and teams function healthily because there are people who take on such 'unobtrusive work'.
This 'invisible work' may well be one of the most sought-after strengths for supporters in the coming AI era.
The moment I realized the value of unobtrusive work
I myself used to think that 'achieving results' and 'producing numbers' were the core of a career.
The company I joined as a new graduate was a venture firm building personnel evaluation systems.
Numerical evaluations, KPIs, behavioral evaluations, competency evaluations...
It might be rare now, but since it was a period of company expansion,
I spent my days visiting clients and making cold calls in my spare time.
(As someone who is shy, I wonder how I managed to do that back then.)
I was so ill-suited for the glamorous job of sales that my sales performance was at the bottom every month.
Exhausted in body and mind, I felt I couldn't continue like this,
and I ended up leaving that company.
After that, wanting to see job types other than sales,
in my 20s, I worked as a company employee in various industries such as venture firms, long-established companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, and industry associations,
gaining experience in a wide range of roles (HR, recruitment, general affairs, sales, administration, technical, and public relations).
(By the way, I've always been bad at managing money, so
for some reason, I have no experience in accounting... haha)
Before I knew it, my resume for job hunting was completely filled up.
After all, I had gone through seven job changes in my 20s.
Then, entering my 30s, I became a freelancer on the recommendation of an acquaintance,
and because I have more experience in multiple industries and job types than anyone else,
I wondered if I could support staff in various roles from behind the scenes in a company?
I began to feel this way and became interested in working as a 'supporter'.
Currently, I serve as a 'facilitator' for the monthly online book club 'Mokkeikai,' where I am in charge of behind-the-scenes progress and creating the atmosphere.
This work is not flashy.
But I create an atmosphere where participants' hearts can relax and foster an environment where they can feel safe to speak up.
To that end, I read the articles before the event and send emails or messages to participants to say a word to put them at ease.
There are days of repeating small preparations.
And when I receive words like 'I want to come again' or 'I can do my best because of this meeting' after all that accumulation, I feel quietly, yet deeply, rewarded.
What is the 'source of trust' in the AI era?
We are now entering an era where we work alongside AI.
If you ask generative AI like ChatGPT to create materials, you can get a polished outline immediately, and scheduling can be done automatically.
However, that is precisely why I think the 'power to soothe people's hearts' and the 'power to build trust' will become important.
These are the powers of 'awareness' and 'anticipation' that only humans can possess, which AI cannot.
For example, saying, 'You seem a bit down today, are you okay?' before a meeting.
Following up after someone has struggled to speak by saying, 'I thought that perspective was very important.'
Such 'practice of virtue' cannot be quantified, but it will always return to you in the form of trust.
Supporting is the accumulation of 'sincerity'
The act of 'supporting' does not require any special skills.
It is simply about engaging with the person or situation in front of you with a little more care and a little more sincerity.
When that accumulates, the trust from those around you manifests in the form of 'I want to entrust this to this person' or 'I want to work with this person.'
Indeed, now that the essence of a career is shifting to a foundation of 'trust,' I believe that the attitude of valuing 'invisible work' is the very way of life for a supporter.
We do not have to be the 'protagonists' who lead others.
Like the staff who support the stage from behind the scenes,
there is pride in our work precisely in being a 'companion' who can gently push someone forward.
Moving forward, I want to continue living through the 'power of supporting'.