To sharpen our axes
Dr. Selim Erhan, TLT Editor | TLT From the Editor April 2022
Traveling and engaging in something different can bring new ideas, more energy and more connections.
I once heard this story in a management course. The young, new logger was doing his best to cut down as many trees as he could on his first day. The following days were puzzling because, although he was doing his best, the number of trees he cut was getting less and less every day. A more experienced logger, seeing his frustration, came up to him and said, “Son, you need to sharpen your axe once in a while!” We all know this is very true. Taking a break from what we are doing and engaging in something different—be it exercise, nature walks, getting together with friends, going on vacations—in fact, doing anything different, does wonders for our concentration, enthusiasm and imagination.
What made me think about this was a brainstorming session at the ILMA Annual Meeting this past October. The topic was what to do to increase retention and prevent people from switching jobs, especially among the younger generations. Of course, the time-tested methods like salary increases, building better communication, better management styles, empowerment, nice furniture and better coffee stations were mentioned. There were examples of helping employees better their education, giving them shares in the company and bonuses and similar perks. I believe all these are very important in motivating people. While thinking, I realized there was a very big incentive that was not in the equation, at least in the U.S.—that is, more vacation time. This one section I think deserves some thought.
Today, the jobs are becoming more complex—therefore, the workforce is more educated, and salaries are higher. At the same time, traveling has become more affordable and easier with online booking and lots of information on any place one fancies going. The combination of more money, more opportunities and adding the fact that younger generations are getting married later, has opened up a much different picture than what we saw when we were first starting our jobs.
Today, the younger generations are traveling extensively. My father boarded a plane for the first time when he was 40 years old. My first time on a plane was when I was 18 years old. My kids have been flying and traveling since they were six months old. The other day, my daughter, who is 26 years old, reminded me that we should check the empty pages in our passports. If one has less than three empty pages, the airline or country can refuse your entry. One of her friends could not fly because of it. My daughter had three pages left four years into her passport and had applied for a new passport! This can give us an idea how widespread and important travel is to younger generations.
As a result of traveling, they see more of the world and can compare practices in the U.S. with practices in other countries. I had a valuable lesson when I first traveled to the U.S. Yogurt is a Turkish national food that spread with Turks when they started migrating out of Central Asia. The two main items of food are grilled meat (kebab) and yogurt. Everything else is in a second category. On average, a family in Turkey eats about two pounds of yogurt a day. This has been going on for at least 5,000 years. However, it is always plain yogurt. There is one place in Izmir that is known for mixing yogurt with honey, and in the district of Kanlica, in Istanbul, they serve it with powdered sugar. That is the extent of modifications. When I came to the U.S. for my graduate studies, I saw small yogurt containers with fruit. The tiny size was so strange, and having fruit also was interesting. When I tried one, I was pleasantly surprised. Evidently, traditions must be revised with new findings! This is why traveling is such an efficient and quick way to experience new ideas and practices.
Traveling, in fact, is getting more and more popular in every segment of society. Then why not take advantage of this change and allow more vacation from the first day of employment? It is practically free for a company. In return, there will be a steady flow of new ideas and more energy, and more connections will be built. Not only will the employees be happier but also, in the process, will sharpen their axes!
Dr. Selim Erhan is director of business development for Process Oils Inc. in Trout Valley, Ill. You can reach him at serhan@processoilsinc.com.