Embarking on this journey as a tour leader in Japan has been both exhilarating and challenging. As I approached my eight-month mark, the annual performance review loomed large in my mind. The departure of two fellow guides had me reflecting on my own small mistakes during tours, perhaps amplified by burnout in the tourism industry and overwork.
Self-Awareness
A significant part of our yearly review is a self-evaluation report. I consider myself painfully self-aware, knowing what I need to do to “improve my life,” yet finding action difficult. Leading tours around Japan has familiarized me with tourist hotspots and efficient city pathways. I liken self-awareness in leadership to observing your own thoughts and actions, but I am slightly detached. This perspective has been invaluable in managing feelings of panic, frustration, or annoyance, allowing me to cultivate a Zen-like experience.
Adapting like water, I’ve become adept at adjusting to various circumstances and environments. I’ve learned shortcuts, engaging stories, and itineraries, adding my personal touch. While history and cultural insights are important, what truly sets a guide apart is the human connection, storytelling skills, and creating a safe, friendly, and fun atmosphere.
Areas for Improvement
Self-reflection often highlights faults and imperfections. Even externally, I see my inadequacies mirrored. As Matthew 7:3 says, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” When that critical inner voice emerges, I remind myself that finding faults in others often reveals our own insecurities. Learning from both personal experiences and those of others is essential. Looking back on guiding, several areas need attention:
- Japanese Language Skills: Enhancing reading abilities, translating from English to Japanese, and communicating politely with suppliers.
- Timeliness and Communication: Promptly responding to travel designers to confirm plans; avoiding procrastination on expense sheets and daily reports; completing expense reports during tours rather than afterward.
- Japanese History: Deepening knowledge beyond the basics to become an expert; exploring Japanese folklore and legends.
- Working with High-End Clients: Understanding the unique standards and expectations of high-end clients; familiarizing myself with upscale restaurants, especially those exceeding 2,500 yen per meal.
- General Restaurant Knowledge: Expanding awareness of local boutique restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Improvement is a Two-Way Road
The annual performance review also served as a platform to express concerns about the company’s direction. It’s important to advocate for improvements from the employer’s side as well. Businesses and employees share a symbiotic relationship, so I felt it was appropriate to voice my concerns.
Sustainable Workload
While the company’s growth in contracts and tours is commendable, it presents challenges. The number of tour leaders in Japan hasn’t increased proportionally, leading to potential burnout, especially during peak seasons or demanding two-week Explore tours. Managing both physical and mental energy is crucial. Long hours, from early mornings to late evenings, combined with administrative tasks, make the workday feel endless. There’s also concern about the sustainability of hiring practices if the tourism boom slows.
Extended Work Hours
A significant challenge is the lack of clear boundaries around working hours. Officially credited hours don’t reflect the actual time spent with clients and on administrative duties. Being “on” from early morning until late evening leaves little room for self-care. Addressing this “grey area” of work is essential.
Career Progression and Connection
Reflecting on career progression in tourism, the path beyond becoming a Senior Tour Leader feels uncertain. Investing in defined roles or teams and offering professional development opportunities could foster long-term careers within the company. Additionally, there’s a noticeable divide between Tour Leaders and office staff. Stronger communication and collaboration could create a more cohesive team culture.
Fair Compensation and Creative Opportunities
While the current pay is livable, aspirations for a more comfortable income persist. Tips and allowances help but don’t fully compensate for the effort and emotional energy invested in tours. On a personal note, I miss engaging my creative side. With a background in marketing, photography, and videography, I feel these creative skills in travel jobs are underutilized. There’s potential to channel creativity into the company’s branding or developing original tours, moving beyond logistical support for overseas partners.
The Work Review
Despite initial nerves, the review went well. My self-evaluation aligned closely with the feedback received, and my reviews were trending positively. I’ve acquired numerous skills along the way. While my workplace concerns were acknowledged, I’m uncertain about achieving the long-term results I hope for. This might stem from impatience characteristic of my generation. Having been with the company for ten months, my ambitions may exceed my current influence and track record. Observing peers achieving more online suggests I might need to continue forging my own path outside of work hours.
Key Takeaways
The review offered a mix of validation and constructive feedback, clarifying my current standing and areas for improvement. Notably, my strengths in communication and client engagement were recognized. Delivering clear information and crafting immersive experiences have made tours memorable for clients.
However, there’s room for growth. While operational performance was rated as “Good,” refining processes and ensuring consistency across all aspects of work is necessary. This involves being more proactive with administrative tasks and addressing minor inefficiencies.
An unexpected highlight was the alignment between my self-evaluation and my supervisor’s feedback. Being painfully aware of my flaws, it was reassuring to find they weren’t as dire as imagined. This confirmed that self-awareness is both a strength and a tool for improvement.
Where Do I Go From Here
Reflecting on the past year, I’ve made strides, but some days it feels like I’m just spinning my wheels. I proposed ideas like “Motor Sports Tourism,” hoping to merge my passions with my career. Yet, long-term goals like an eSports platform, a karting league, or the “Touge Legend” game seem distant. My creative aspirations—designing t-shirts, animations, music—remain just that: aspirations, shelved for lack of time and energy.
At times, I find myself gravitating toward bai lan, the Chinese term meaning “let it rot”. It captures that heavy, almost rebellious desire to stop trying so hard and simply let life take its course. I don’t mean giving up entirely, but there’s a temptation to step off the treadmill of endless effort. The exhaustion from balancing two jobs—leading tours and building a SharePoint platform on my days off—only amplifies this feeling. Sometimes, it feels like I’m trading one stress for another, chasing a stability that remains just out of reach.
And yet, even in these moments of fatigue and frustration, there’s a stubborn ember of resilience. Perhaps it’s naïve, but I still believe in moving forward, even when it’s at a crawl. Maybe it’s not about hitting every lofty goal right away but finding a pace that’s sustainable. For now, it’s enough to acknowledge the struggle and keep going, however imperfectly.
Sharing my Learning Online
I’ve thought about some concepts for content I could upload online. Sharing my discovery of Tokyo, Kyoto, Japanese History, and Japanese language online would not only help me for my own review and understanding, but also would help me to build my work portfolio and maybe online following. I recently thought about restructuring my website to topics that make sense and I thought that would be a good idea following a full site redesign. Anyway
Much Love 💖🩵🦥,
LaidbackMarco
TO DO LIST
Keep better track and record of finances- Design Shirts, Clothes, Sweaters, and Products for the brand
- Make a diagram of LaidbackLifestyle funnels and web
- Redesign website to integrate product sales
- Cleanup YouTube channels, linking, and tags
- Send Ophelia, Monstercat, and Other Labels a Demo. . .how do I put together a demo and press kit?
- Visualizer for “Lost at Sea”
- Vertical Visualizer
- Visualizer for “Feel Good Inc.” Drumstep Remix
- Upload any Video To LaidbackGaming
- Finish Editing Yokohama Photos and Post Them Online
- Make a reel with trending audio of before and after edits
- Draw anime characters on them for laidbackanime
- Create Shortform Content from Nissan Global HQ
- How to Make Music Video DAW
- A7III Review
Make some Art
