In this age of AI, the ability to "read the room" is what drives work.

This is Watanabe, and the more projects I'm involved in, the more I realize how important "atmosphere" is.

Lately, we've been hearing more and more about people losing their jobs to AI. We're living in an era where AI can create documents, organize information, and even design. In fact, the number of jobs where AI can be used is steadily increasing.

However, understanding the unique characteristics and objectives of each company and shaping them into a space that reflects that company's identity is not an easy task.
For example, even with the same request, "We want to create a comfortable working environment," the ideal vision differs from company to company.
It's necessary to grasp the overall atmosphere of the company, whether it reflects its unique character, and whether it fits in with the company culture.

 

Why is the ability to "read the room" so important now influencing the quality of work?

Having worked in sales for over 20 years and interacted with many companies, I've come to realize that each company has its own unique characteristics.

Even when making the same proposal, some companies will respond positively on the spot, while others will take it back and consider it carefully. These differences and characteristics are reflected in the way companies handle proposals, budgets, and meetings—in short, in their daily work processes, and represent the company's unique culture.

Companies with a long history, in particular, tend to retain a strong sense of their accumulated culture and values.
Perhaps for this reason, when consulting about office design or company building construction, it's not uncommon to hear requests like, "I want to change the atmosphere of the company."

To change that, we first need to understand what makes our company unique.
What have you valued most, and what criteria have you used to make decisions in your work?
Unless you grasp the unique atmosphere of that company, you won't be able to create a space that truly reflects that company.
What we're focusing on are the nuances of these conversations, the reactions to suggestions, and the subtle feelings that are difficult to express in words.

 

Actually, you're also reading the room.

For example, have you ever changed the order in which you explain things depending on your boss, or contacted relevant parties before a meeting, or adapted your approach to communicating a proposal to suit the person you're talking to?

Actually, that's also a job that involves "reading the atmosphere." Many people do it without realizing it, but it involves reading the characteristics of the person or organization and adjusting how the work is done.

AI excels at organizing information and learning patterns.
I'm currently not very good at reading between the lines or understanding the nuances of human relationships.

In our work, the areas where AI struggles are extremely important. These involve reading a company's "unconscious" or "atmosphere" and translating that into a tangible spatial representation.

I think the same can be said for other jobs as well. Just being a little more conscious of the "reading the atmosphere" that we usually do without thinking might change how we approach our work.

When we talk about "reading the atmosphere," it might sound like some kind of special ability.
However, in reality, it's something that many people do quite naturally in their daily work.

Reconsidering your company's unique characteristics and organizational culture may provide clues to re-evaluating how work is conducted within the company.