No.0112：0 ball, 2 strikes - last stand
March 31,2023
WBC Mexico game. They scored three runs in the first inning, and we had no choice but to hit back. I wanted to get on base somehow, but the batters were trapped with 0 balls and 2 strikes. The opposing pitcher has a wide range of options, such as an out-course slider that runs away from the strike zone , or an in-course high-strike rate to attract a swinging strike.The situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable. Cheering for the batter who was being pushed into a corner reminded me of a past time when I was pushed into a corner and struggled to turn things around and didn't want to be reminded.
Discovery of a fatal programming error just before the release of an IT system. Nowadays, with the trend of reforming the way of working, it is possible to postpone the release of the system because of overtime regulations. However, the "we have to make do with our strength" mentality that pervaded the gymnastics culture at the time made this an unacceptable choice. working 48 hours straight, we had to do something in the next two hours before dawn, but we would not get the desired results. Extremes. When you experience something like this, good or bad, you may develop a strange insensitivity that does not let things bother you a little, and you may also develop an unusual ability to concentrate.
I have experienced the above situations many times, and I have come to strongly believe that I want to be tough enough to make appropriate judgments as calmly as possible when I am in a corner. Like Robert Jordan, the hero of Hemingway's novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls" who calmly carries out his duty on a dangerous battlefield where death is imminent. I believe that my value is in my appropriateness in such situations. However, when I am actually put in a difficult situation, I often wonder, "What if it doesn't work out, what if I can somehow dodge the criticism?" These unfortunate thoughts that have little to do with problem-solving sometimes haunt me. I was struck by Ichiro's words about defense: "It's nice to be sure you don't need a fine play by being in the right defensive position in advance and reacting quickly the first time the bat hits you.
On the other hand, when lifetime (permanent) employment is guaranteed, long-term stability is assured as long as one obediently follows the hierarchy of the vertical order to which he or she belongs. Because of such a situation, a smug response that ignores the recipient of the service, where only obeying the rules is strangely prioritized, can become a target of criticism. Because the ingenuity, energy, and time are maximally directed toward avoiding one's own responsibility as much as possible, the dissatisfaction of the service recipients is sometimes very strong.
Japan has lost its influence in the world little by little during the lost 30 years since the bursting of the bubble economy. Finally, it has been overtaken by neighboring South Korea in terms of average annual income. Is it too much to think that despite this situation, there is a lack of a sense of urgency? We are not so good, but we are still managing somehow, so while we are in charge, we are playing it safe by following the past. Like a boiled frog. We are not going to challenge unless I am forced into an imminent situation of 0 ball, 2 strikes.
The ancient Chinese phrase "last stand" does not mean that a soldier is forced into a situation where he has no choice of escape. It is a tactic in which the commanding officer encourages the desperate resolve of the soldiers by daring to eliminate escape routes. A team that is given a perfect environment but still uses the slightest inconvenience as an excuse for the current stagnation cannot expect much in the future. and even if we have already achieved a certain level of success, as Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos said, " day one" in other words, we want to start each day as a series of first days, with a sense of freshness, humility without arrogance, and urgency.
Discovery of a fatal programming error just before the release of an IT system. Nowadays, with the trend of reforming the way of working, it is possible to postpone the release of the system because of overtime regulations. However, the "we have to make do with our strength" mentality that pervaded the gymnastics culture at the time made this an unacceptable choice. working 48 hours straight, we had to do something in the next two hours before dawn, but we would not get the desired results. Extremes. When you experience something like this, good or bad, you may develop a strange insensitivity that does not let things bother you a little, and you may also develop an unusual ability to concentrate.
I have experienced the above situations many times, and I have come to strongly believe that I want to be tough enough to make appropriate judgments as calmly as possible when I am in a corner. Like Robert Jordan, the hero of Hemingway's novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls" who calmly carries out his duty on a dangerous battlefield where death is imminent. I believe that my value is in my appropriateness in such situations. However, when I am actually put in a difficult situation, I often wonder, "What if it doesn't work out, what if I can somehow dodge the criticism?" These unfortunate thoughts that have little to do with problem-solving sometimes haunt me. I was struck by Ichiro's words about defense: "It's nice to be sure you don't need a fine play by being in the right defensive position in advance and reacting quickly the first time the bat hits you.
On the other hand, when lifetime (permanent) employment is guaranteed, long-term stability is assured as long as one obediently follows the hierarchy of the vertical order to which he or she belongs. Because of such a situation, a smug response that ignores the recipient of the service, where only obeying the rules is strangely prioritized, can become a target of criticism. Because the ingenuity, energy, and time are maximally directed toward avoiding one's own responsibility as much as possible, the dissatisfaction of the service recipients is sometimes very strong.
The ancient Chinese phrase "last stand" does not mean that a soldier is forced into a situation where he has no choice of escape. It is a tactic in which the commanding officer encourages the desperate resolve of the soldiers by daring to eliminate escape routes. A team that is given a perfect environment but still uses the slightest inconvenience as an excuse for the current stagnation cannot expect much in the future. and even if we have already achieved a certain level of success, as Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos said, " day one" in other words, we want to start each day as a series of first days, with a sense of freshness, humility without arrogance, and urgency.