Juｌｙ, 2024

Counseling Case
ExampleDear employees,

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HOKENDOHJIN-FRONTIER, Inc.
Human Frontier Counseling Center
4F Aoyama 1-Chome Tower, 1-3-3,
Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
107-0062, Japan
Tel: 03-6747-6250

We offer psychological counseling via in-person meeting, telephone and email. Pleasefeel free to call us at our toll-free number 0120-783-744 for an appointment. The number
can be reached by mobile phones. It is our hope that our counseling service could insome way, however small, contribute to your well-being and productivity.

Schedule a counseling appointment

０１２０－７８３－７４４
Office hours:(excluding holidays)※In case you would like to know more about our counseling service before you make an initial contact,

Monday through Friday１０：００～２０：００
Saturdaywe present a typical case example below in the hope that it’d give you a glimpse into our consultation

10：00～18：００

E-mail :sodan@humanfrontier.co.jp

room. The following case is fictional based roughly on several real cases. The client’s identity isintentionally disguised.

※We will reply to you within two business days
after receiving your message.

A young employee who considered quitting her job due
to difference of “norms” of communication amongmembers in her workplace.

Case１©2016, 2024 HOKENDOHJIN-FRONTIER Inc.

Client: Ms. B, in her 20s, working for the current company as a sales representative for twoyears
Background：Ms. B called us just after talking with her boss online. She said, “I did not feel well last week andtook a day off after informing my boss of my illness by sending a short message. From the following day, Iresumed working at home as previously scheduled and then at the office. However, at the end of an online
meeting, my boss told me to remain on the line after letting the other members exit. As soon as we were left
alone, my boss began scolding me, and I had no idea what the problem was. He suddenly got angry with me,and I felt sad and upset. I am confused and do not know what to do.” She was sobbing over the phone. “Myboss rebuked me one-sidedly saying, ‘You requested a day off with just a short message, didn’t you? It is rudeof you not to show your face in online meetings. You never participated in the social nights of the department.’”
Ms. B sounded indignant and upset when she said, “Of course, he is my boss, but isn’t he too irrational? I don't
want to go to the office.

I want to quit the company.” The counselor listened to Ms. B with empathy andproposed a face-to-face counseling session, and we agreed to meet in the weekend.

（Ｃｌ：Client, Ｃｏ: Counselor）

Co’s Intervention：
In the first session, Co found Ms. B had a gentle demeanor. Cl greeted saying, “I am sorry for being very
emotional on the phone yesterday.” Having understood for what her boss had criticized Cl, Co had thought itnecessary to see if there were any problems with Cl’s manners or common sense. She greeted me formally bypresenting her business cards and sat down to face me in a flawless manner. Co noted that she had a good
grasp of common sense and business manners.
Cl mentioned, “I was able to cool down after I spoke with you yesterday. I’ve decided to keep a lid on myemotions in the workplace.” Co responded to her, “There certainly are times when we better keep a lid on ouremotions because people with all kinds of thoughts and feelings are working together in the office. However, if
you do so all the time, I worry, you would feel pressured so much as to cause health problems. Also, from thecompany’s point of view, they would want to avoid losing important human asset.” Co suggested that Cl mightsort out the issues by reflecting on her interactions with her boss.
She candidly told her thoughts, “Attendance to the drinking parties of the department is said to be optional, andI believed it was completely up to my decision. I informed my boss of my taking day off using SNS simply
because I usually used SNS to communicate with my professors or the student affairs office in college, notbecause I did not want to disturb my boss who is very busy.

I was criticized for not showing my face at online

meetings, but I certainly can express my opinions just through audio. I want to keep my personal space private,
and the benefit of working at home would be lost if I have to put on some makeup and change clothes just toattend online meetings.”
When Co inquired about the members of the department, it turned out to be everyone, but Ms. B was over 45years old. We discussed the underlining issue might be the generation gap and that the “norms” of a generation
varies from those of the other. Co advised Ms. B to speak with her boss immediately after returning to theoffice the following week. Ms. B expressed her concern, “I would most likely be scolded again.” Co suggested
that she would apologize first for she got upset and emotional in face of the boss’s sudden criticism.
Co further suggested that Cl would ask her boss to listen to what she thought about his criticism, and then tell
him the reasons for her behaviors that her boss pointed out. Co encouraged her to tell her boss that she
wanted to get his thoughts as well. Ms. B looked anxious and wondered, “Will I be able to do that?” Co ended
the session by encouraging her to go to the office and talk to her boss.
After the office hours on Monday, Ms. B called to Co reporting, “I gathered my courage to talk with my boss,and we found that we had many differences in values. For example, he apparently had never heard of avatars
and asked me what that was. As we talked, he looked at a loss and mentioned ‘I never imagined you werethinking like that,’ but he told me, ‘I am sorry for I scolded at you so hard. Our ways of understanding aredifferent. There are company’s normal practices, too. So, let’s try to find a better solution through keeping ourdialogue.’ Just as you said, I was really surprised at how different our views were. Communication is important
after all.” She sounded like she had recovered herself.

Difficulty in accepting and training Generation-Zemployees

Case２©2016, 2024 HOKENDOHJIN-FRONTIER Inc.

Client: Mr. P in his 50s, manager of the quality assurance department of a manufacturer
Initial Phase of Counseling:
Mr. P asked for our consulting by sending an e-mail. He wrote, “About half a year ago, a new employee (male,early 20s) was assigned to the department that I manage. The relationship between the employee and hissupervisor (male, 50s) has deteriorated, and I contacted you to see how to improve the situation. About twoweeks ago, the supervisor yelled at the new employee so loudly that his voice ran across the floor, ‘Do you say
you need a manual just when you’re learning how to do the job? There are things that you can only learn by
actually doing them!’ After the new employee left for the day, I invited the supervisor to my office and asked him
what had happened. According to him, while he was explaining the new employee how to do the job, thetrainee suddenly interrupted him by asking ‘Isn’t there a manual?’ The supervisor explained to me, ‘Knacks
gained through experiences and gut feelings are important for carrying out the job properly, and there areprofound meanings that can't be written down in a document.’ His points are sensible to me, and I thought thetraining was given in a reasonable fashion. The new employee appeared to be as usual in the following day, andI dismissed the incident as a common friction between a new employee and a trainer.”
Mr. P further wrote, “However, the new employee frequently takes a day off unexpectedly and leaves the officeearly these days. It appears he lost motivation, and they grew apart from each other recently. I deeply wonder
how I would best approach to this matter. “Upon reading his email, Co immediately sent back an e-mail to Mr. P acknowledging receipt of his e-mail andproposed to have a session either face-to-face or by phone. On the following day, Mr. P and Co met at a hotel
lounge near his company after the office hour.

Co’s Intervention：
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. P said, “My desire is that all members of my team, including the concerned
two, work together, improve themselves through friendly competition, stay comfortable with each other, andmaintain both physical and mental health.” Co felt Mr. P was carefully observing his team members, and that
he was trying to do best in managing his team. Co suggested that he also speak one-on-one with the newemployee, as he did with the supervisor. Co told Mr. P, “The supervisor’s opinion is reasonable enough, but thenew employee's sudden request for the manual might have been based on his own reasoning.” Co added, “Thenew employee belongs to Generation Z, who grew up being surrounded by instruction manuals since childhood.
They grew up in the atmosphere where they did not have to copy what teacher wrote on the blackboard andread it aloud to memorize. Instead, they used visual aids such as slides and tablets. In part-time jobs, their jobs
might have been thoroughly explained in manuals.” Mr. P said, “The supervisor and the new employee havelived in different time, so they most likely have some differences in perception and values.

To speak of it, I remember that the supervisor was indignant to see the new employee was going to take notesof a meeting by his smartphone. That might have been quite normal from the perspective of the youngergenerations.” The comment showed that Mr. P understood what Co wanted to communicate. We exchanged
opinions on the characteristics of Generations X, Y, and Z, and the frictions between them, reflecting on someactual examples.
Mr. P said, “I will talk with them tomorrow. I will intervene with a positive thought to help them improve theirrelationship. I will talk about the differences in perceptions and values that stem from the time in which they
grew up. Having different perspectives may promote work efficiency and innovation” and headed home in apositive mood.
Almost a month after the consulting session, I received an email from Mr. P. reporting, “I spoke with the new
employee alone, and I incorporated some of his ideas that made sense, and explained the supervisor's views
very in detail. The new employee gradually regained his motivation. The supervisor remains very supportive
to his growth. They became on good terms again. I have come to realize the importance of dialogue that is
mindful of the perspectives of the counterparties.”

How to Use Our Service
Type 1 Email counseling
Please email us the following items ❶ and ❷ and primaryissues by email. You can also use our website.

Type 2 Face to face counseling
Please make an appointment by either phone or email.

Type 3 Telephone counseling
When all counselors are occupied, a counselor will contact
you later at the earliest possible convenience.

Please provide us with following information
for making an appointment.
❶Name (anonymity is acceptable)❺Desired type of session❷Company name or registration number □ Face to face (Tokyo/Osaka counseling❸Brief description of the matter
office or any agreed location)
for counseling□ By Microsoft Teams❹Desired date and time of session※The type of counseling you can choose
depends on your contract.

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