No.0098：Fads - easy to heat up, easy to cool down
January 31,2022
Fads sometimes go too far and go away too fast. I own stock in a company called Snow Peak, which mainly produces products for the outdoors. It's a bit expensive, but I'm attracted to the company's sophisticated design, durability, and long warranty. In the midst of the Corona disaster, the company's stock price was rising rapidly due to the popularity of outdoor activities. However, as the interest rate hike in the U.S. becomes a reality, We expect that there will be an active shift of assets from stocks to savings. So, the price dropped in no time at all. You have to strike while the iron is hot.
A little over ten years ago, around the time of the Lehman Shock, I was looking for a new job. It was the very worst timing. Everywhere I went, the recruiters were terribly arrogant (maybe I was a little paranoid because of the continuous rejection), and I seriously thought that I would have to live without a job for the rest of my life. Even now, in a sense, the crisis is as bad as, or even worse than, the Lehman Shock. However, there is no shortage of jobs in the IT sector, where I work, because of the DX fad. However, I have a strong sense of discomfort with the current lightness of the term "DX". I have a feeling that the fad will soon die out and the selection of those who are needed and those who are not will become more severe. In order to continue to be the former, I would like to make good use of trends without being swayed by them.
One of the latest fads is to work from home. I have been working from home for the past two years and have been able to communicate with many people I have never met via text message or video conferencing with no problem. I have more time to spare and my quality of life has definitely improved during the week. I don't think I'll ever go back to my daily life of being on a crowded train,
once I realize how productive it is. Like a disappointed multiple debtor who gets a high income and can't lower his standard of living even after he loses his income.
In this situation, the degree to which companies are willing to allow remote work and flexible work styles will be one of the most important factors in attracting and retaining talented people. I don't see the sustainability of a workplace that follows the old style rules and restricts employees to a certain place and time. This kind of flexible work style may be seen as a fad at the moment, but I am certain that it will become a permanent fixture as the need of the times.
Another current fad, and likely to take hold in the future, is the shift of negotiating power from corporations to workers. In the past, employees served the same company for the rest of their lives, and the company guaranteed the life of the employee, and such a relationship was very stable for the employee. On the other hand, there was also the negative aspect of being under the thumb of the company and having to hang on to the company when it became difficult to contribute. The current fad, if I may exaggerate a bit, is that each worker is like a professional baseball player, competing with his or her own ability and getting paid for it, and I feel that such a strict and free environment of individual independence is being created. This is represented by the term "job-focused employment" that has been making the news and newspapers. If you can't contribute to the company, you can train yourself to do so, or you can move to another place where you can contribute. In this way, you can make flexible choices with a great sense of self-determination.
If true free competition takes root, labor productivity will increase and people will feel more accepted. The gap will probably widen, but if we are all going to stagnate in moderation due to Japan's current excess of bad equalitarianism , I'd much rather have self-responsibility that I can manage through my own efforts. Many of my favorite rock groups have created great songs on their way to being stars. On the other hand, when they start to be praised as "the reigning rock band," their songs tend to be boring. The best performances come from a state of anxiety: " I will be big for sure!, but I might not have the talent, or I might just disappear. I wish I could use my anxiety as the source of my continued struggles. It would be wonderful if such a stance became a permanent fixture in my life rather than a temporary fad.
A little over ten years ago, around the time of the Lehman Shock, I was looking for a new job. It was the very worst timing. Everywhere I went, the recruiters were terribly arrogant (maybe I was a little paranoid because of the continuous rejection), and I seriously thought that I would have to live without a job for the rest of my life. Even now, in a sense, the crisis is as bad as, or even worse than, the Lehman Shock. However, there is no shortage of jobs in the IT sector, where I work, because of the DX fad. However, I have a strong sense of discomfort with the current lightness of the term "DX". I have a feeling that the fad will soon die out and the selection of those who are needed and those who are not will become more severe. In order to continue to be the former, I would like to make good use of trends without being swayed by them.
In this situation, the degree to which companies are willing to allow remote work and flexible work styles will be one of the most important factors in attracting and retaining talented people. I don't see the sustainability of a workplace that follows the old style rules and restricts employees to a certain place and time. This kind of flexible work style may be seen as a fad at the moment, but I am certain that it will become a permanent fixture as the need of the times.
Another current fad, and likely to take hold in the future, is the shift of negotiating power from corporations to workers. In the past, employees served the same company for the rest of their lives, and the company guaranteed the life of the employee, and such a relationship was very stable for the employee. On the other hand, there was also the negative aspect of being under the thumb of the company and having to hang on to the company when it became difficult to contribute. The current fad, if I may exaggerate a bit, is that each worker is like a professional baseball player, competing with his or her own ability and getting paid for it, and I feel that such a strict and free environment of individual independence is being created. This is represented by the term "job-focused employment" that has been making the news and newspapers. If you can't contribute to the company, you can train yourself to do so, or you can move to another place where you can contribute. In this way, you can make flexible choices with a great sense of self-determination.
If true free competition takes root, labor productivity will increase and people will feel more accepted. The gap will probably widen, but if we are all going to stagnate in moderation due to Japan's current excess of bad equalitarianism , I'd much rather have self-responsibility that I can manage through my own efforts. Many of my favorite rock groups have created great songs on their way to being stars. On the other hand, when they start to be praised as "the reigning rock band," their songs tend to be boring. The best performances come from a state of anxiety: " I will be big for sure!, but I might not have the talent, or I might just disappear. I wish I could use my anxiety as the source of my continued struggles. It would be wonderful if such a stance became a permanent fixture in my life rather than a temporary fad.