Slow down culture

Its not my creation rather a nice article which I wish to share. Here it is:

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 to 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 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      
work weeks 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.'
now tell me, have you read this article calmly or rushed through the lines?
This would allow you to judge whether you are burdened with work or not.


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