The need for Cultural Sensitivity in our Shrinking World
Today was Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I don’t think many Americans were even aware of that. I am fortunate to have good friends in Canada, some amazing suppliers that offer great and unique products and wonderful customers.
Early this morning, I sent an email to my customer support
person at one of my favorite companies in Montreal. I wished her a Happy Thanksgiving and
acknowledged that she was not in the office but asked if she could look into my
order the following day. I was quite surprised
to get a response right away from her.
She told me that she had a great day with her family on Sunday and that
she would have the American Thanksgiving off instead of the Canadian
Holiday. But, of course, she will be home celebrating alone, a Thursday in late November as winter is upon their doorstep. This is a Canadian owned
company. And I was more than a little troubled by
the fact that on a holiday that celebrates family and thankfulness that she was
at work.
A few hours later I talked with another supplier in the US
that recently purchased a Canadian apparel supplier. They also were busy shipping out orders from
Toronto.
Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday. It is a simple and beautiful holiday about family and being thankful. There are no gifts, there are no religious complications to consider. Its just great food, family and thankfulness for all we have.
As the world becomes smaller and it is easier to work across
borders, we need to develop our sensitivity and respect for traditions. Would it have been earth shattering if these
Canadian companies had closed to allow their employees to be with their
families for one day? We hold
Thanksgiving as a very sacred holiday in the US. (Okay with the exception of some retailers
who tried to ruin it last year!). We
share Canada’s Thanksgiving with our Columbus Day so we were without banks and
the mail delivery and federal offices.
It happens this way every year.
How is that we can work without those key operations, but there is no
longer a respect for employees and their families across our border?
We tolerate China closing for three weeks for Chinese New
Year. We plan for it; we work around
it. It isn't always easy but we all
survive.
At Stowebridge we realize that families are important. Our employees are our greatest asset. We offer a flexible workplace where families are important. We adjust work schedules for important events - school performances, important sporting events for our employee's kids, kindergarten graduations and doctor's appointments. We aren't open on weekends and we close for all the major holidays. By taking care of our employees, we know they will take great care of our customers.
We need our Canadian neighbors who own businesses to know that we respect that occasionally our holidays fall on different days, that we value their partnership, and respect their traditions.
As our world becomes smaller, it is time that we
also develop cultural sensitivity and respect and appreciation for traditions.
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