Visualization with a Whiteboard

Toyota is famous for intensive visualization (見える化) of information in their factories. They think that visualization is necessary to find and solve problems quickly. ("Data visualization drives Toyota's product development")

In Japan there is a proverb "百聞は一見に如かず", which means, "One look truly is better than a hundred words." Sometime we thought that we understood each other by just talking each other, but after that we often found that we misunderstood each other. Verbal communication is imperfect.

Whenever I hold a business meeting, I must use a whiteboard. I bought a portable whiteboard, and when there is no whiteboard in a meeting room, I bring it.

I summarize what participants say with bullet points and charts during meetings. It's helpful to understand each other and make the meeting more efficient.

At the end of the meeting, I write the conclusion of the meeting and confirm it with the participants on the whiteboard. In a meeting without a whiteboard, we often feel that we have reached a conclusion, but in fact it isn't certain. Writing down the conclusion on the whiteboard makes everything clear.

After that, I take a photo of the whiteboard and send it to them by e-mail. We can skip taking minutes of the meeting. This way is simple and easy.

Actually I'm not an otaku

I was depressed for a month, and now I've got better at last. But I found that I had so many things to do, because I left off doing them while I was depressed. I have to work hard and I can't make enough time to write my weblog.

But I'll try to write a new short entry.

My personality is like those of otaku people. I'm attached to my hobbies and fussy. But I don't like the otaku culture itself.

For example, I read manga and watch anime, but I can't read and watch so called "anime graphics (アニメ絵)". I could say that I hate "anime graphics".

I used to introduce three of my favorite Japanese Manga authors, Moto Hagio, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Taiyo Matsumoto. None of them draw "Anime graphic", but more artistic drawings.

There is a popular comic "Sayonara, Zetsubo Sensei (さよなら絶望先生)". Whenever I hear about it, I think that I must love this comic. But whenever I try to read it, I can't get though it because its graphic is the "anime graphics" style.

I look like an otaku, so many people mistake me for an otaku, but actually I'm not an otaku.

Coming Back to the Surface of the Sea

My previous entries might have made my readers nervous about my health.

Last week I was at the bottom of the deep sea, but now I'm coming up to the surface of the sea. Many people gave me messages and they gave me energy to come back up to the surface. I really realized that I wasn't alone. I'll be able to fly in the sky

Thank you! We can't live alone, and I wish that I would give you energy to live.

But I find that I have so many things to do now. I'll have to work hard next week, but I'll be careful not to work too hard.

Frying High in the Sky or Driving Deep in the Sea

When I'm flying high in the sky, I'm naturally positive. I love everything in the world, especially myself. I feel like being able to do anything, and I enjoy my job and hobbies.

But when I'm diving deep in the sea, I allow myself to be negative. I hate everything in the world, especially myself. I actually can't do anything but lie on the bed. I just enjoy the sweet taste of shelf-hatred.

Of course, I'm happy high in the sky, and unhappy deep in the sea, but I can't keep flying forever. Sometimes my energy runs out and I dive deep into the sea.

When I'm flying high in the sky, I usually forget pain in the other people's heart, because I'm fascinated with the bright sunshine. On the other hand, when I'm diving deep, cool, and dark in the sea, I feel not only my own pain but also the other people's pain very much.

I'm arrogant high in the sky, and I'm humble deep in the sea.

Confucius said, "the virtue of moderateness is supreme."

I wish I could live on the land moderately.

From the Deep Sea (1)

As I wrote in this weblog, I've been suffering from depression for four years.

Sometimes I didn't feel well, but on the whole I've been recovering from the depression.

During the past year, basically I felt better than anytime since I suffered from the depression. I kept taking antidepressant and sleeping pills, but my colleagues probably thought that I had almost recovered. (Actually I myself almost thought so.)

Last October I was promoted to the chief of my section. This proved that my boss thought that I could carry out the duties of this position, and because I also thought so, I accepted this promotion.

Of course I had more work than before, and I actually worked harder. At the same time I dedicated myself to my hobbies, writing weblogs in Japanese, English, and Chinese and playing golf.

My boss seemed to recognize my hard work, so last April my section was merged with another section and became twice as big as before. I was much more motivated and worked harder. At that time I hoped that I could keep up.

But it was a mistake.

Since the begging of May, I felt full of weariness and sometime I couldn't go to work. (I couldn't write my weblog in Chinese or play golf well.) And then I had a series of disorders, insomnia, back pain, headaches, itching, sore throats, and so on. It was apparent that they were symptoms of the depression and that I had worked too much.

Now, I feel like I am going down into the deep sea. In the deep sea, it's cool and calm. I have to take a rest here.

And then I'll come up to the surface of the sea.