Slow Down Culture at Volvo Sweden
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
possess 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 12 million inhabitants.
3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people.
4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its renowned
companies. Volvo supplies 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 named 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, happier, 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.
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. There is a saying, “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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