The other day, I was happy to receive a nice article from Arai-san, but then I got a call from Saito-san, the editor of the Monosasu site. "Harazawa-san, the deadline for the next person introduction article is next week. How is the progress going?"
Oh no! I completely forgot that this article is a relay, and the person who is introduced is supposed to write the next person's introduction. Oh no! I haven't even decided who to introduce.
Hmm, who should I introduce? I try to picture the faces of my Monosus friends.
(The relay format of these articles about people is a good opportunity to reflect on these things, especially now that we don't meet face-to-face in the office as often.)
The first person that came to mind was the web director, Mr. Matsunaga. Mr. Matsunaga always says, "That's a good idea, let's do it!" He's famous for being extremely easygoing.
He always listens to me frankly, is very interested in everything, and has a lot to talk about. Quickly It would make an interesting article!
Whether he knew what I was thinking or not, Saito asked me, "What about Matsunaga?" Oh, I thought so? So we decided to introduce Matsunaga. As soon as I contacted Matsunaga, he replied, "I'm happy! I'd be happy to help out!" He was enthusiastic, as expected. And so, the introduction to Matsunaga began.
What kind of person is Mr. Matsunaga?
Matsunaga-san, who was the master of ceremonies at my wedding.
① He always helps out ② He's a caring father ③ He's very studious
That being said, I think these three are enough to introduce Mr. Matsunaga, and to be honest, with these and a photo you can get a good idea of what kind of person Mr. Matsunaga is, so I feel like I could end it here... But Saito-san would get angry if I did that, so I'll write a bit more about each of ①~③, including an interview with him.
① Raise your hand for anything
Matsunaga volunteered to make coffee for the participants of the internal presentation. She looks great in her apron.
When you think of Matsunaga, this is the first thing that comes to mind.
Whenever a project is launched at the company, Matsunaga is usually the first to raise his hand and say, "Oh, I want to do it." This is despite the fact that he is extremely busy with his regular work. I was curious as to why this was the case, so I asked him directly. (Actually, I have the same habit, but let's leave that aside.)
Matsunaga: "Because it looks like fun. When something fun is happening close to me, I feel like it would be a waste not to take part in it... But as soon as I raise my hand, I always think, "Oh, maybe I can't do it." lol"
What a waste. I got an unexpected answer. But I can somehow understand that feeling of being unable to help but get involved once you know "that."
However, it seems that Matsunaga has recently been trying to change his style.
Matsunaga: "Recently, I've been trying not to say that I'll do everything. Whether it's work or anything else, when I'm doing something and an extra idea comes to me, if I don't have the time, I won't be able to do it."
It's true that when you make a new discovery and want to try it, if you're busy you may not have the time or mental energy to do so and end up taking the safe route.
In the first place, if you cut down on time too much, you won't even be able to make such discoveries. It's because there is space that new ideas come about. It seemed that he had noticed this and was putting it into practice.
Personally, I like Matsunaga too because he jumps into anything and everything.
Let's continue raising our hands so that Mr. Sakuyama doesn't get annoyed and say, "You guys again?"
②A caring father
Tsubaki-chan, Ken-kun, and Matsunaga-san striking a pose for some reason
I have seen Matsunaga-san's team members calling him "Papa". That must mean he is the backbone of the team. In fact, Matsunaga-san is the father of one daughter and one son, and is very devoted to his children.
When Monosus members gathered at a dinner party at their home some time ago, Matsunaga, who had brought his two children with him, was constantly chasing after them, worried about them (or was he at their mercy?), and he himself had to go home without being able to eat or drink much.
Matsunaga-san playing with his son Ken. He was staring intently at Ken, who was holding the tongs, the whole time.
Even at work, when he has no time to work at all, he apparently goes to work at 5 a.m. He is very dedicated and puts his family and team first, so I asked him why he is able to prioritize those around him even if it means cutting down on his own time.
Matsunaga: "The desire to do good things has always been at the root of it all. Ever since I was a child. I believe that if you do good things, they will come back to you someday. So I do it with that belief. Haha."
"In the end, it's all for my own sake," he said with a laugh, but whether it's for his own sake or not, there are few men who are as considerate of the people around them, cherish their family, and are so filled with kindness as Matsunaga.
Apparently, he often takes his children to play at nearby parks on his days off. Matsunaga-san happily tells me which parks he recommends, and he is so overflowing with fatherly love that it makes you want to call him "Dad."
3. Very studious
In the courtyard of Monosus Yoyogi headquarters. Mr. Matsunaga is relaxing but actually very busy.
Matsunaga-san is an active participant in all study sessions held within the company. It doesn't matter if it's a meeting for a different department. If there is even a little bit of field he doesn't know, he is very interested and takes time out of his day to participate.
Matsunaga: "Right now, I want to comprehensively re-learn how the web works, including servers and databases, so I participate in webinars when I'm traveling or have some free time. I'm not a web engineer by trade, but if I can understand even a little bit of each of the many programming languages, the range of proposals I can make will be broadened."
In the web industry, new technologies are born every day, and yesterday's common sense often becomes obsolete tomorrow. Even in such a situation, Matsunaga is always eager to learn new things, which makes him a reliable person.
Finally, I asked him what his vision is now.
Matsunaga: "I want to contribute more to both my customers and the web industry. I would be happy if I could have even the slightest positive impact on those involved in web operations."
Matsunaga says he wants to improve not only his family, Monosus members, and customers, but also the entire web industry. I got the strong sense that this is not simply self-sacrifice, but that he consistently wants to "do good things."
We don't see each other much at the office these days, but when we do meet in person, I hope to be able to talk about various things with Matsunaga-san, who struggles every day as a web director, a team leader, and a father.
Now, Mr. Matsunaga, I'll pass the baton to you!
HARASAWA Shogo