Navigating the human side of projects in the age of AI
Overview
Many of the methodologies for creating innovation and new businesses to date have been based on clarifying the “goal.” Design Thinking”, “System Thinking”, and “Future Foresight “ also fall into this category. But is this all there is to it? In reality, the opposite approach to the conventional approach of creating new possibilities from the means currently available, rather than setting a goal first, is actually occurring quite often. In this VUCA era where it is uncertain and the future is completely unpredictable, ”Effectuation,” a problem-solving approach that discovers new goals from the means at hand, has been attracting particular attention in recent times.
| 📂 Category | Initiative |
| 📌 Keywords | Boundaries, Patterns of Misalignment, Collaboration, Human Skills in the Age of AI, Self-Understanding |
| 🎯 Objectives | • By paying attention to your own physical sensations, you’ll become aware of your implicit assumptions and non-negotiable boundaries • You’ll reflect on the inevitable misunderstandings in cooperation that arise even in an efficiency-driven society, and learn to view conflicts not as a reflection of the other person’s character, but as a difference in underlying assumptions • You’ll take away concrete strategies for adjusting, negotiating, and—if necessary—redefining your boundaries |
| 🌐 Language | Japanese and English (Discussions will be held in separate groups based on language) |
| 👥 Target Participants | Graduate students and undergraduate students involved in research or other projects Those who feel they have particular challenges in interacting with others in labs or teams |
| 🗓 Format | In-person, 2 sessions (attendance at both sessions is required) |
| ✅ Past & Upcoming Sessions | #1; Sunday, November 8, 2026, 14:00–18:00 #2; Sunday, November 15, 2026, 14:00-18:00 Related Workshops: ・Project Reflection (2024) ・Leadership for Creating a Collaborative Research Environment (2025) ・Dialogue-Based Workshop to Recognize Your Collaboration Pattern |
| 📍 Venue | #1; S4-202, South Building 4, 2nd Floor, Ookayama Campus #2; I1-256, Ishikawadai Building 1, 2nd Floor, Ookayama Campus |
| 🌟 Recommended for | ・Those who feel a subtle unease—one they can’t quite put into words—about their relationships within their lab or team ・Those who tend to hold back what they want to say, or who are unsure where to draw the line ・Those who want to develop the ability to collaborate with others—a skill that’s essential no matter where you go |
| 📊 Points | 8 points (4 points x 2) (Points to be awarded to students enrolled in the courses for credits. Please refer to the syllabus for details.) |
| 🎟️ Capacity | 15 participants |
Main Content
Everyone has had the experience of trying to work on something with someone else and having it not go as planned—whether it’s restocking supplies, deciding when to wash cups, or replying after seeing a message. Many of these misunderstandings arise not from malice, but from discrepancies in assumptions we took for granted as “self-evident.” In particular, the most dominant of these unspoken assumptions gradually come to function as norms and begin to act as boundaries between ourselves and others.
Now that AI is increasingly becoming a partner in our work, these implicit assumptions are growing in importance. First, as an issue between people. Certainly, at the level of systems and tools, there are definitely more tasks that AI can handle. Even so, these implicit assumptions remain as an issue in the areas where people must work together.
Second, when giving instructions to AI, if you do not articulate these implicit assumptions, you will not get the results you want. In other words, whether the other party is a person or an AI, the starting point for collaboration lies in becoming aware of “what we implicitly take for granted.”
In this workshop, we’ll first explore implicit assumptions through our physical sensations—reactions such as “holding back what we want to say” or “feeling irritated for no apparent reason”—and treat them not as issues with the other person’s character, but as differences in perception. Using examples of miscommunication gathered from real-world settings, we’ll work together to consider how to adjust, negotiate, and—if necessary—redraw boundaries based on the premise that boundaries exist.
The workshop is designed by Copilot, Inc., which has provided ongoing support for projects over the past 20 years. Drawing on practical insights gained from driving projects forward using every possible means in results-driven corporate environments, they will share methods for understanding the structure of challenges in collaboration from multiple perspectives.
Bring along those “minor misunderstandings”—whether from your lab, part-time job, or home—and let’s reexamine them together during the workshop.
Workshop Contents
Session 1: “Feeling Your Own Body”—An Experience Based on the Tuning Model
We are constantly adjusting to our environment, holding back what we want to say, or pushing ourselves beyond our limits. In this session, we’ll introduce this process as the “Tuning Model,” and then we’ll conduct an experiential exercise where you trace your own experiences—such as “I felt irritated for some reason” or “I just laughed it off at the time”—to explore how your body reacted in those moments. The goal isn’t to analyze boundaries, but to reach the starting point where you realize, “I felt pressure, so there must be a boundary here.”
Session 2: : Redrawing Boundaries and Considering How to Interact
We’ll bring in “patterns of misunderstandings” collected from collaborative support settings and examine them together with participants. By listing familiar patterns—such as when to restock supplies, the rhythm of doing the dishes, or leaving messages unread without replying—it becomes clear that many conflicts arise not from malice but from differences in assumptions. Precisely because it is impossible to design boundaries that are perfect for everyone, we will consider how to adjust, negotiate, and, if necessary, redraw those boundaries—based on the premise that they exist—while incorporating specific response methods and tactics.
Workshop Design and Facilitation
Copilot Inc.
Copilot, Inc. is a group of specialists focused on project management.
Founded in 2005, the company acts as a “copilot,” facilitating collaboration among teams with diverse objectives and backgrounds and accompanying them toward their goals. We support cross-functional projects—such as those in the digital sphere and new business development—and work alongside team members to build teams and organizations capable of driving projects forward while delivering results.
Kana Hasebe
One of the most common concerns we hear from companies seeking our support for project management is that “people aren’t able to collaborate effectively.” That’s just how difficult it is for people to join forces and accomplish something together.
Differences in the times and places we’ve lived create distinct “unspoken assumptions.” This won’t change even with the rise of AI. Where does this “misalignment” stem from? In this workshop, let’s explore these unspoken assumptions together.
Shotaro Yagi
A sense of unease manifests in our bodies before we even have a chance to think about it. Reactions like “I don’t know why, but that annoyed me” or “I just laughed it off at the time” are signs that your personal boundaries have been crossed. I’m researching relational ontology—the idea that relationships precede existence—and what I repeatedly encounter is that frameworks that appear neutral at first glance often conceal strong underlying assumptions. In this workshop, we’ll pause for a moment and try to put those assumptions into words. As you begin to see what you’ve taken for granted, the way you interact with others will also change.
Event Report
Contact Faculty
Yuri Matsuzaki
📩 matsuzaki.y.77a9 [at] m.isct.ac.jp