How to do satisfying work even outside your area of expertise

What do you do when you are given a task that you have never done before and that seems outside your area of expertise?
Without experience, it is normal to be unable to confidently say "this is the right answer," and to be unsure of the direction in which you should put your efforts in the first place.

My name is Takamori and I am usually in charge of sales.
For example, some of our customers say, "I was suddenly entrusted with creating the space for our company's showroom, but I'm not an expert in space creation and I don't know where to start."
Naturally, if things continue as they are, it will be impossible to carry out work in a way that is satisfactory, but this can happen to anyone.
This time, I would like to talk about what you should look for in such a situation using this example.
 

Why do people get lost in work outside their field of expertise?

As I mentioned at the beginning, we sometimes receive inquiries from people who want to build a showroom.
However, when I ask them, "Why do you make them?", they often stop talking.
Although they can explain the circumstances, such as "I was told to do it from above" or "I've been considering it for some time," the purpose remains vague.
Many of the people in charge have no experience in creating spaces, but they are still required to give internal explanations and make decisions.
That's why I don't want to make the wrong decision and I want to move forward with a clear understanding.
What often happens is that people start with past examples or concept design.
Even if you try to make it look like "that facility," it won't be convincing without a standard to judge it by, and in the end you won't be able to decide for yourself whether it's good enough.
In fact, this task of "putting your purpose into words" cannot be completed simply by asking an outside expert.
This is because it is the people in charge who know what their company values, who they want to communicate it to, and how.
 

When you put into words "why you make it," the landscape changes.

The first thing we stop to ask ourselves before creating a space is "why."
If there is no place to displays, then why do we need displays? Why do we want to hold a demonstration?
Who do you want to communicate to, what do you want to communicate, and what value do you want to convey? By asking these questions one step at a time, you will be able to see the necessary elements.
When you dig deeper, you often find that there are two purposes.
In addition to external communication (outer branding), internal goals such as employee understanding, recruitment, and engagement (inner branding) also naturally overlap.
Once you have put into words the "why of making it" in this way, you can look at examples and determine whether they "fit the purpose," and you can organize what needs to be added and what needs to be removed.
Even if you are not a spatial expert, this is the moment when a person who knows your company can become the ``axis of decision-making.''
If you have a core concept, explaining it to your employees will be a "choice based on purpose" rather than a "preference."
As a result, the discussion becomes less likely to deviate from each meeting, and decisions that are more satisfactory are made.

What's important when creating a showroom is not the shape or presentation, but the reason for creating it.
The person who can make that judgment is not a spatial expert, but someone who knows their own company.
Our space creation process begins with putting into words the "why" together with our customers and finding a core that satisfies them.
When you find yourself in trouble with work that you think is outside your area of expertise, I hope this way of thinking, "First, find your true purpose and the basis for your judgment," will be of some help.