Mexico

If you have never been to Mexico, I highly recommend it. Not only are the sun and the ocean delightful, but the people and the culture are also refreshing.

They are happy and kind and take pride in their work, no matter what their work is. They strive for excellent customer service and everyone is genuinely happy to be working.

We can learn a lot from this culture, especially today as the American culture is struggling to find meaning in life.

We seem to have forgotten our heritage and what it took to live with the kinds of freedoms and opportunities that we still have today. However, we could be reminded if we are just willing to open our eyes.

We have nurtured an attitude of being owed rather than asking the question of what can I offer to make a difference for my neighbor, for my company, and for my family. Taking pride in meaningful work and knowing the value of contributions.

As a growing company, we have been interviewing a lot of people to join our team. When I get to the question, “Do you have any questions for me?”, most of the time the answer is no or they are wondering what benefits they will get. Never do they ask about the history of the company or why we do what we do, who we serve, and how I see their potential role in making a difference to our clients.

When I was graduating from university we were given classes on how to interview well. How to help a prospective employer see our value and the difference we could make for their company. If you didn’t do your homework on the company they just weren’t interested in you.

I guess I have always been a big-picture thinker and am saddened by the self-centeredness and short-sightedness of our culture today. The larger economic ramifications are seemingly not even considered as fraud and crime are on the rise making banking a challenge, and as positions are overpaid just to get a warm body in the door to work. We continue to watch retail stores put in self-service checkout because there is no downtime with a machine and the hiring process… well it just doesn’t exist.

The self-checkout lines here are small and most people don’t use them. They prefer to support their neighbor and pay the bagger a tip. For now, I will continue to muse on what is happening in the USA and how I can make a difference and I will continue to appreciate the Mexican culture still taking pride in their work.

In Abundance,

Sue