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In today’s world, it is important to keep on your toes and be well-prepared for whatever the day has in store. This is so much easier to achieve when you have employees around you with different experience and knowledge. Perhaps you have read the previous blog posts “Different Nationalities, Shared Strength” and “Shared Breakfast, Nourishment for the Soul”, written by a couple of my colleagues. They give the impression that we are like a bag of mixed sweets – a great many people from different countries and different departments. And that really is true. Garantell has all functions and departments under one roof, from Production to Sales, from Development to Painting.
Everything started when I left my beloved Iraq in 2015 and came to Sweden. I had to leave a life, a family, a career and a future. Everything. To start anew. In the middle of summer 2018, I entered Swedish working life. It was Garantell who opened the doors for me. I can clearly recall the day I biked through the fragrant and dense forest to get to Speditörvägen 8. Things I knew for certain: That day was the beginning of a new chapter in my life in Sweden. I was more than ready, full of gratitude and brimming with curiosity. I had great expectations and felt a strong drive.
Time is one of the few things in life that is truly equal – no one can complain or insist that the quota is unfair. Although, the 24 hours a day we all have at our disposal can be utilised or wasted in various ways. However, only the things we manage to accomplish endure over time.
This year, many traditions have had to take a back seat. Due to the spread of the coronavirus, there are restrictions regarding the maximum number of people permitted to gather in one place, and festive events have had to adapt. This has affected the ability to hold everything from weddings to funerals in the usual way. Online funerals have become common in Sweden, while holidays such as Midsummer, crayfish parties or birthdays have been celebrated within the immediate family instead of as is usually the case with the extended family and friends. Christmas, which is considered the major holiday period in much of Europe, is now on the horizon. That too will be different for many people this year, as older relatives are unable to participate in the festivities in the same way as usual.
What actually is the purpose of digitalisation? In today’s society, it’s the rule rather than the exception that companies are constantly looking for new IT solutions. Perhaps you’ve seen employees sighing over some “new invention” introduced by their own company or its partners.
The winter is now approaching and in Småland we can look back on magical August evenings when the sun went down at half past nine. Sitting by a reflective dark lake watching the sunset behind the treetops is really something magical. For those who believe in lake monsters, it goes without saying that August evenings, with their shadows and fantastic sunsets, are the height of lake monster season.
Looking after staff is considered a matter of course for many companies in Sweden, and it’s done in various ways. Not only by, for example, providing breakfast, but also by offering employees a sum of money to enable them to purchase a gym membership or treat themselves to a back massage. We also enjoy exercising together in our lunch break. A short run or a tabata session can be squeezed in before lunch. Sounds strange? Maybe. However, we don’t just see it as exercise. It’s also a chance to socialise with our colleagues. Just like Friday’s after-work session can be of value because it increases the sense of well-being within the team.
Can we lower the height of the safety mesh here? Can we add hinges and angle the mesh here? Can we increase the clearance as there are conveyor systems that go in and out of the machine here? Can we create a fitting for this type of switch? Yes, of course we can! There’s always some kind of obstacle when creating a safety layout. This can be anything from an uneven floor to the fact that there are already several structures, such as beams, blocking the locations of the safety mesh.
Both as a company and as individual employees, we must respond to a world in which technology is developing at an increasing pace, with an accelerating flow of information. Our products and services must constantly develop, change and improve. Ideally, we should be presenting innovative solutions that our customers had no idea they needed.
