Guadalajara

I spent three days this week in Guadalajara on business travel. It was a great opportunity for me to practice my Spanish and I can see how moving to a place where only Spanish is spoken is the very best way to learn the language. It was difficult because communicating in Spanish takes much more concentration and effort, which become tiring very quickly.

What I rediscovered is that people are the same, no matter where you go. The needs of employees working in Mexico are no different than in the U.S. They want their idea to be listened to, their families looked after, their future secure, their efforts acknowledged, and their pay to reflect their contribution to the company. It was my pleasure to listen to their stories and offer information and support.

While I was there, I got to do what I think I do best in my job - be the shoulder to cry on for a very stressed out manager. I related to her struggle as a working mother and I offered her the one thing I think she needed the most...validation. I listened, gave some advice from personal experience (which I told her she could take or leave), but most importantly, I related. I shared similar experiences and admitted to feeling hopeless sometimes too. I tried to remind her why we keep doing what we do best at work, and that, for every person that doesn't support our decisions, there are many more who do. By the end of the meeting, I asked her to try something that works for me sometimes. We tried finding the humor in it. A few minutes later, tears turned to laughter. Sometimes it helps to not take things so seriously. Her problem is not solved, that is going to take some perseverance on her part. But, hopefully she can feel at peace with the struggle she has ahead.

I like to think that this interaction may have helped in a way to save Avnet the loss of a very talented employee. But, most importantly, I hope that there is a woman thousands of miles away hugging her children this weekend, knowing others support her. What she may not know is that she helped me to be the person I wanted to be in that situation.

And then - home again to a little guy whose smile always sooths me.