Hello, everyone.

This is Enta.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to deal with young people.

The construction industry used to be considered a "black" industry. (Is it "gray" now?)

It's what's known as the "3K."

Tough, Dirty, Dangerous

The person who coined this phrase must have been doing “easy, clean, and safe work” at the time.

If you think about it the other way around, you might wonder, “Does a job like that even exist?” But this image is so strong that, in a sense, the construction industry is becoming a booming sector.

While the industry is still “tough, dirty, and dangerous”—just as it always has been—it’s starting to be seen as offering higher salaries and a cleaner image than any other industry.

Because of that, I often hear stories suggesting that young people are, if only slightly, interested in this side of things.

In a way, that's a good thing, isn't it?

 

Conversely, if someone’s salary is low despite being in that situation, there must be some reason for it.

It’s possible that your pay is low because you work slowly, make a lot of mistakes, take a lot of time off, or lack the necessary qualifications—but this is an industry where you can easily resolve any of these issues through your own efforts.

If you meet those requirements but are underpaid, please look for a new job.

There are plenty of companies that will appreciate you.

(But be careful—there are anti-social groups out there.)

People often say, “Kids these days...,” but is it really the kids’ fault? Or could it be...We, who can't understand young people, are also partly to blame.Isn't that the case?

That's what I think.

As the times and years constantly pass, middle-aged men and women—who tend to get stuck in the past—end up saying things like, “Things were better back then.”

Back when I was young...

The young people listening to this are fed up.

We were sick of it back when we were young, too, weren't we? Yeah.

 

So, what should we keep in mind when talking with them?

In my opinion, I think it’s about discussing the current reality and the rules, and saying things like, “So this isn’t allowed, right?” or “So this isn’t a problem, right?”

I teach them—I tell them—that “according to current social norms, that’s not okay, right?”

"The design value is +100, and the actual measurement is +102, so this won't work. That's because it's specified in the design. Design standards are absolute!"

It's very easy to understand, isn't it?

 

It’s because we middle-aged guys and gals tend to bring in other ideas, past experiences, and emotions when we talk that things get complicated.

Please share those kinds of thoughts and feelings with people who share the same values or are in a similar age group who understand them, lol.

 

Lately, salaries have been going up across the industry, so even at 3K, young women and slightly rebellious young people are joining the ranks. (Having heard the rumors)

Especially since those kinds of kids live their lives in a way that suits them best, they pretty much ignore what we say, so I have to think carefully about how to deal with them.

Even though they use LINE all the time, they’ll just say, “I didn’t see it,” when it comes to work-related messages. (There are ways to avoid marking messages as read, lol.)

Even though we've agreed that people should call to let us know about time off by the day before, they still send messages on LINE the morning of.

Even in those situations, I calmly explain the company rules; I might send them via LINE, or depending on the circumstances, I’ll provide them in writing and have the person sign them.

Even if you go that far, it's just the same thing all over again.

Isn't what we can do simply to keep doing what's mentioned above while waiting for that young person to grow up?

That's what I've been thinking. (Especially lately.)

Of course, we get frustrated and angry, too.

But I’ve been thinking that maybe one of our jobs as middle-aged guys is to wait until they’re able to grow on their own.

 

Let's try to clearly and vividly recall who we used to be.

At what age did you start thinking you needed to get your career and life in order?

Did you think you didn't want to be a burden?

Were you able to do your job perfectly??

Wasn't there a boss, foreman, or CEO who believed in your potential and supported your growth?

 

I realize that “waiting” has become part of our jobs as middle-aged guys, lol.

 

See you later.