Slow down culture(A must read)

It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working
for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here
takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and
brilliant. It's a rule.

Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general
sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to
posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with
the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate,
debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown
scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

Said in another words:

1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in Brazil.
2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people.
4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its
renowned companies. Volvo supplies the NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at
the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We
would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the
entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I
didn't say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked,
'Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the
entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot.' To which he
replied, 'Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever
gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don't
you think? Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow Food. This movement
establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time
to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without
rushing.

Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and
what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger
movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of 'hurry' and
'craziness' generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of
'having in quantity' (life status) versus 'having with quality', 'life
quality' or the 'quality of being'. French people, even though they
work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or
British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen
their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has
brought forth the US's attention, pupils of the fast and the 'do it
now!'.

This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower
productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality,
productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress.
It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure
time. Taking the 'now', present and concrete, versus the 'global',
undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values,
the simplicity of living.

It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter
and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how
to do.

It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious
quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality
of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacino asks
a girl to dance and she replies, 'I can't, my boyfriend will be here
any minute now'. To which Al responds, 'A life is lived in an
instant'. Then they dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it
when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on
time.

Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live
the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have
equal
time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference
lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each
moment.

As John Lennon said, 'Life is what happens to you while you're busy
making other plans'.

Congratulations for reading till the end of this message. There are
many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in
this globalized world.
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