A company that can leverage nervous people turns that into a strength itself [Ability Redesign | Nervousness Edition ⑩]

Characters

Mao
An employee at a residential design firm involved in estimates and design.
Though often seen by those around her as "fussy," "nervous," or "slow at work," through this series of events, she is gradually beginning to recognize that her tendency to "start seeing future risks when conditions overlap" is actually a professional asset.

Takase
Sales representative.
He values a sense of speed and is the type who prioritizes moving projects forward. He previously viewed Mao's caution as "too fussy," but now realizes that "different people are needed for different tasks" depending on the project, and his own role in sales is beginning to shift from "pushing through" to "picking up and connecting."

Kurokawa
Head of the design department.
He is the type who tries to organize and look at what is happening rather than judging based solely on emotions or atmosphere. Through this incident, he has gradually spread a perspective within the workplace of looking at the combination of work conditions and individual functions, rather than using personal labels.

Nana
Administrative staff.
She is sensitive to changes in the atmosphere around her and closely observes the differences in workplace interactions. She is not the type to strongly lead others, but she is someone who quietly senses the moments when change begins to emerge.

Synopsis of this series

When people are called "nervous," it is usually not meant as a compliment.

You worry too much.
You are too fussy.
You are too cautious and slow.
You should just take it easy.

When you keep being seen that way, you eventually start to believe,
"This personality of mine is a hindrance to my work."
and you become convinced of it.

But is that really the case?

In this series, we have depicted the process of Mao, who was labeled as "nervous" by those around her, gradually putting into words the discomfort she felt at work, and how that was not just a flaw, but something that could lead to a role and value.

And what we have finally come to see is,
that this does not end with just Mao's redesign.

Rather than erasing the differences in what people see as flaws,
a company that can combine and leverage them
will become stronger as a result.

This is the final episode, where we depict that landing point.

Highlights of this episode

In episode 10, Kurokawa begins to organize the changes that have occurred so far as the company's value.

Mao has changed.
Takase has changed.
The atmosphere in the workplace has changed.
The reputation from customers has also begun to change.

So, what was the true nature of that change?

It is not simply a story about
"it's good that sensitive people were recognized."
It is not.

Rather,
a company that can be built on the premise that what people see differs from person to person is strong in itself.
That perspective is articulated here for the first time as the company's value.

In this episode,

• Kurokawa organizing these changes as the company's strength

• The structure where individual differences lead to company trust being put into words

• Mao's redesign leading to the redesign of the entire company

will be depicted.

A few days later, in the evening.
In the office, the day's work was gradually coming to an end.

Outside the window, the sky was tinged with a faint red,
and soft light was falling onto the desks.

The number of phone calls had decreased,
and the sound of keyboards was more sporadic than it had been during the day.

During such a time,
Kurokawa was, for once, watching everyone for a little longer than usual.

Takase was putting together sales materials.
Sato was doing a final check before closing the blueprints.
While organizing vouchers, Nana
was filling in someone's oversight with a quick word.
Mao was quietly working on documents as always.

It should have been a familiar sight.

But to Kurokawa,
it looked like a completely different scene from just a little while ago.

Before, too, in the same way,
everyone had been doing the same work at the same desks.

But at that time,
the differences were not meshing well.

Fast people kept pushing at their own speed,
those who stopped were treated as slow,
and those who looked at details were seen as troublesome.

Even though those differences existed,
they were crushed by labels before they could be utilized.

It is different now.

The differences remain as differences.
In fact, they haven't disappeared.

Even so, things are running better than before.

They are meshing better than before.

And the impression from the outside is better than before, too.

When thinking about that difference,
one answer was clear to Kurokawa.

It is because we stopped trying to erase those differences.

Before the end of the workday,
Kurokawa called out to Takase and Sato, who were nearby.

“Do you have a moment?”

It was not an exaggerated summons.

The two stopped what they were doing and
gathered near Kurokawa's desk.

Nana, too,
naturally listened in while organizing documents nearby.

Mao was about to close her materials at her seat, but
she noticed the tone of Kurokawa's voice and stopped.

Kurokawa, as usual,
began speaking with little preamble.

“From this recent sequence of events, I have realized one thing.”

No one interrupts.

Kurokawa continues.

“Before, I think I was probably
expecting everyone to see things the same way.”

Those words were
also an extension of what I told Mao the other day.

But this time,
it was an assessment aimed at the entire workplace, not just an individual.

“Some people see things quickly.
Some people notice overlapping conditions.
Some people can pick up on conversations early,
while others can reduce the oversights at the end.”

Kurokawa paused there,
and took a quick look around at everyone's faces.

“Before, I was trying to force everything into the same mold.
That’s probably why anything that stood out looked like a flaw.”

Sato nodded slightly.

Takase also listened to those words in silence.

Kurokawa continued calmly.

“But in reality,
there are projects that run better when you assemble them with their differences intact,
rather than trying to make them uniform.”

The way he said it was quiet.

But it was the shortest and most accurate description of the changes in their current workplace.

They run better when assembled with their differences intact.

The moment Mao heard those words,
she felt something deep in her chest loosen slightly.

Until now, she had thought of herself as being on the side that
“couldn’t fit in with the norm.”

But with Kurokawa's words just now,
the fact that they are different is no longer the problem.

Rather,
it is precisely because they are different that there is meaning in combining them.

That perspective
seemed to create a new foothold within Mao.

Takase, at that point,
opens his mouth after thinking for a moment.

"Does that mean
it can also become a company's strength?"

Kurokawa answered immediately.

I think so.

It was a short sentence, but
there was no hesitation.

If it's just about being cheap or fast,
there are probably others.
But if people who see things differently can work together properly,
and pick up on things the other party hasn't even noticed,
that becomes a value for the company.

Nana stopped holding the documents and
listened to those words quietly.

Company value.

It's not a phrase that is
often spoken in daily operations.

But what was just said
didn't sound like empty talk,
it sounded like an extension of what had actually been happening over the past few days.

There was Mao's sense of unease.
Takase connected it.
The order was received.
The feedback came back.

Everything that happened was real.

When you put that flow together,
it certainly becomes
a matter of company function rather than individual personality.

Kurokawa added more words.

“We aren’t the kind of company that wins just on price or speed, are we?”

Takase smiled slightly.

“Lately, I certainly think so.”

Kurokawa also relaxed his mouth slightly.

"By leveraging what each individual sees,
and designing things to include what the customer hasn't even noticed yet.
That kind of company ends up retaining more trust."

Those words
changed the contours of this workplace just a little.

What is a company?
Why are we chosen?
What are we selling?

If the answer to that
is not just about "speed" or "low cost",
but about leveraging the differences in what we see.

Then, even within things that have been treated as flaws until now,
there is a lot of dormant power that can still be used.

Mao remained quietly in that spot.

She wasn't being lifted up as the protagonist by anyone.
She wasn't being showered with praise either.

However,
the feeling I had always struggled to deal with within myself
is now being talked about here as something that adds value to the company.

That fact alone
was enough.

Mao suddenly
remembered the day she first stopped working because she was bothered by the fault line.

Back then,
my heart was just restless.

I stopped again.
I might be thought of as troublesome again.
I might end up without being able to explain it again.

That was all the anxiety I had.

Now, that
has even led to a conversation about the company's strengths.

It was strange.

It's not that I've gained any special power.
It's not that I've become a different person, either.

It's just that
the way I am seen and the way I am placed have changed.

But that "just"
changes how a person works to this extent.

Takase looked toward Mao and
said with a slightly embarrassed look.

"At first, I really didn't understand."

Mao looks up.

Takase continues.

"But now,
I think there are quite a few things we've been able to catch because you're here, Mao-san."

Sato adds to that.

I'm good at building the big picture too, but
Mao, you see those kinds of overlaps before I do.

Nana also says with a small laugh.

You've been making fewer mistakes lately, haven't you?
Everyone is also asking you for things more gently than before.

At those words,
the atmosphere in the room softens a little.

Kurokawa says at the end,
as if to summarize.

It's not that someone is superior or inferior,
it's just that what we see is different.
If that's the case, a company that can use those differences is stronger.

It wasn't a flashy conclusion.

But with those words,
the flow of these ten episodes landed perfectly.

Sensitivity.

What was once called that
was no longer a 'flaw to be fixed.'

The ability to sense future risks when conditions overlap.
The ability to reduce omissions and oversights.
The ability to pick up on subtle discomforts that are hard to put into words.

If placed incorrectly, that becomes a source of suffering.

But,
if viewed correctly,
and organized correctly,
it becomes an individual's value,
and a company's value as well.

In the office in the evening,
the silence of the end of the day was gradually spreading.

As Mao prepared to head home,
she noticed that her back felt a little lighter than before.

It is not as if everything will suddenly go well starting tomorrow.
There will also be days when you cannot explain things well.
There will probably be moments when you feel anxious.

Even so,
you do not have to erase
everything inside you.

That can have real meaning
in this workplace,
and in this job.

Just by having that sense,
the world looks a little different.

To those who are sometimes told they are sensitive.

What you are seeing
might not just be overthinking.

It might just be that those around you
do not yet have the words to receive that perspective.

If that is the case,
what is needed is not to erase yourself,
but to know what you are seeing.

And,
it is to reposition yourself to a place where that difference can be utilized.

When you can do that,
what you thought were flaws
will turn into your role.

Next Episode Preview

The Sensitivity Edition concludes with this episode.
Next time, in the commentary edition, we will organize the structure of what was happening within Mao, what the workplace misjudged, and why it connected from 'individual → workplace → reputation → company strength'.

Next time,Sensitivity Edition Commentary
'Sensitivity is not a flaw, it becomes value through placement'