Monosus internal study session report: Learning from Yoshiaki Nishimura how to hold good meetings

The company is about to change.

I feel this strongly these days while working at Monosus.

Meeting groups have been set up throughout the company with names such as "Thinking about XX" or "Restarting XX," and they are continuing to consider how to run meetings, the shape of company websites, and the future of workplaces.

Often, these conferences and meetings are not just a place to "confirm what has been decided" (they are places where you don't know the correct answer but you're thinking about how to proceed), so things don't always go smoothly. (Basically, they tend to be difficult.)

Meanwhile, in May, Yoshiaki Nishimura spoke at Monosus' general meeting about "enriching the company's shared areas." ( For more details, please see the previous article. )

Many people may know Nishimura as the author of the book "Creating Your Own Job" (Chikuma Bunko, 2009).

In addition to writing, he also plans, directs, and facilitates design projects, and has many opportunities to work with Monosus members on projects in Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture.

After speaking at the general meeting, Nishimura-san will hold a study session on the theme of shared areas/workplaces for Monosus members. (By the way, even before I joined Monosus, when asked who I respected, I answered "Yoshiaki Nishimura and Shigesato Itoi." So I thought it was a luxury to have Nishimura-san hold a study session in the company.)

This time, I will write about the first study session and my personal impressions.

I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier, but I'm Katsumata, the creative director at Monosus. I'll give you an update on my current situation, even though no one asked. I recently tore my Achilles tendon and am currently undergoing treatment. I recommend that people in their 30s and older carefully stretch their Achilles tendons before playing sports.

Learn about "Meetings"

Part 1: Recap
Last time, we looked back on what Nishimura-san said at the general meeting and reviewed the history so far. It was time to confirm the premise. Today's main theme was "meetings."

Part 2: The actual meeting
Try holding an actual meeting.
Facilitated by Nishimura, the meeting was held on the theme of "How can we improve Monosus' general meetings?"

Part 3: Reflecting on the meeting you just had
Part 2 is a time to reflect on the meeting. Rather than mentioning the opinions and ideas that came up during the meeting, it's more like reflecting on the structure of the meeting. Rather than what was said, it's more about how the meeting was conducted. This is a reflection on the structure.

Nishimura spent the first 30 minutes or so explaining how today's study session came about, and after sharing the basics, the meeting quickly moved on to part 2, a discussion about "How can we improve Monosasu's general meetings?"

I won’t go into the specific ideas and thoughts that came up during this meeting, as it would be off topic, but I will write down the steps that were taken in Part 2 (1-7).

1. Each person writes down what they want to keep in mind during the general meeting (○) and what they don't want to take with them into the future (X).
2. Share what you have written with a group of 2-3 people nearby.
3. The contents of the discussion in 2 were shared with the whole group. (Mr. Nishimura wrote the opinions on the whiteboard.)
4. After sharing the current situation of what you want to value in the meeting (○) and what you don't want to take into the future (×), it's time to think and talk specifically about "what should be changed and how?". In groups of 2-3 people.
5. Check the degree of empathy for each of the opinions written on the board (a list of things you want to cherish (O) and things you don't want to take into the future (X)). (Ask "Who empathizes with this opinion?" and respond by raising your hand.)
6. If anyone has an idea for how to change the general meeting, they can present it (in the general meeting).
7. From the ideas that came up in step 6, vote for the one that you feel will make the general meeting better, that you feel is convincing, and that you think can be implemented (multiple votes are OK).

On this day, we held a meeting to provide materials for the study group, so that was the end of Part 2. We only just got to the point where we could discuss specific topics like "So, which one should we do?" and "Who should do what, by when?"

Four stages of a meeting.

It was time for a review in Part 3. Nishimura-san told us how he designed today's meeting.

"Actually, the meeting we just had was conducted in the same way as described in this book. I'd like to take a moment to look back on it together."

The book Nishimura was holding was "I saw a meeting like this at Marquee!! Let's give it a try, facilitation" by Aoki Masayuki (Tokyo Volunteer and Citizens' Activities Center, 2016).

Next, Nishimura introduced us to a section in the book called "The Four Stages of a Meeting."

The first of the four stages of a meeting is the "Sharing Stage." This is where you confirm the "beginnings" of the meeting and share the information necessary for the discussion. This is the so-called foundation-building stage. The second is the "Diffusion Stage." This is the stage where the discussion expands and various ideas and possibilities are presented. The third is the "Chaos Stage." This is the stage where there are conflicts of opinion, there is strife, and various proposals are put forward. So it's a spiral. And the fourth and final stage is the "Convergence Stage." This is the stage where the discussion is summarized, a conclusion is drawn, and it is put into action. This is the stage where it is closed.
Understanding that "there are four stages in a meeting!" will make it easier to proceed with the meeting. Even when the meeting does not go well, it will be easier to identify areas that need correction, such as "Oh, this stage did not go well," "The diffusion was insufficient," or "It took too long to reach a conclusion."

From then on, we used the book as a reference and touched on the key points of each stage, and used it to compare which parts of the study session were relevant.

For a detailed explanation of each stage, please read Aoki's book, but below we will introduce some excerpts from the book.

[Sharing stage]
If you assume that "everyone else understands this," and neglect this stage, it can lead to big mistakes later on. Be careful with the sharing stage.

[Diffusion stage]
In the diffusion stage, any opinions are received with a "Thank you for bringing them up" or "What else do you have?", and you focus on getting all your opinions and ideas out. When you feel like you've reached your limit, try bringing up two or three more, or combine ideas together, and explore the possibilities to the fullest.

[Chaos Stage]
There are several ways to escape from chaos, but I think the most important thing is to "experience chaos."

[Convergence stage]
1. Is the conclusion acceptable to the meeting participants to a certain extent?
2. Is the conclusion feasible to implement?
3. Will the conclusion make the end user happy?
Pay attention to the three points above, choose a conclusion, and put it into action. This is the key to the convergence stage.

Nishimura carefully explained tips and tricks, even for something as simple as how to write on the board, and it was a truly thought-provoking session, but since it's not possible to cover everything in this article, I'll just share the parts that made the biggest impression on me.

This is the scene where Nishimura talks about why he set aside time for everyone to speak at the beginning of the study session.

"I try to make sure that everyone in the meeting has time to speak as early as possible in the meeting, preferably within the first 5 to 10 minutes. I don't go that far with report meetings, but I always do it when I want to discuss something together.
It's pretty much decided in the first 10 minutes or so. The norms of what that meeting is like are established. If you listen to someone talking for 15 minutes or so, you're set in a mode of "Oh, so that's how it is."

If you open your mouth even a little bit at the beginning, it will give you the feeling that "we're going to create something together today", and it's easier to open your mouth if you've spoken somewhere before than if you've been quiet for a long time and you're suddenly told to speak. Also, if you open your mouth and hear the other person's words and voice, you can understand how each other is doing. Your voice is a channel that lets out all kinds of things, such as how you're feeling that day, your condition, etc. You might feel low, high, or bouncy.

Speaking is a very important trigger for participation, and in a sense, the content can be anything. Of course, it's best if it's related to the theme of the day, but if you get too caught up in the theme and start asking things like, "What were you expecting today?", it can be quite defensive, so even if you just say what you ate today, I think it's important to create something that starts a connection.

Create something that starts a relationship.

For me, this study session was the time when I felt like "everyone was there." On the other hand, even when we are in the same place at a study session or meeting, there are many times when I feel like I can't see the faces of the people there.

I think there are many different forms of "participation," but if we're in the same place, I think we should show each other's faces and talk to each other. This isn't about being proactive being good and being passive being bad, but rather it's a prerequisite for creating a certain space together.

Nishimura said, "I think it's important to create opportunities for people to start getting involved."

Create something that starts a relationship.

When I heard this story, I had an indescribable feeling.
When I first started getting involved, I had never thought of it in terms of "creating."

When Nishimura said "creating the beginning of interaction," the "create" sounded like "design."

Interactions between people are a natural progression. Or, I thought somewhere that it was something that depended on the mobility of the individual. Even in schools and such, they throw people into the same space, but after that, it's up to each individual to interact with them! That's how it feels.

However, creating the opportunity for interactions to begin means designing how people can begin to interact with each other.

I felt like I understood a little bit more about what I had felt when I said "everyone was there."

And I like that feeling.

Once again, I realized that it is very important for us who are here at Monosus right now to create an opportunity for people to start getting involved.

The end.
It was a report on the study session and my personal impressions.