Recently in Work Category

The Brazilian people are known worldwide for their hospitality. As a journalist, I've had the privilege of visiting Brazil three times during my career.

The latest trip in November was to Sao Paolo, and then to Ribeirao Preto - a major sugarcane and agricultural municipality about an hour's flight from the big city.

It's one thing to get great treatment from your hosts - in this case it was UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association - but it's another thing when you're off entirely on your own.

And so I was, breaking off from the group in Riberao Preto after the sugarcane ethanol plant and sugarcane field tour to look for an Internet cafe to file my online stories.

The group was at a famous open-air restaurant and cafe called Pinguim (Penguin - pictured) where we would lounge around for hours until the shuttle bus took us to the airport.

But getting some directions to the nearest Internet cafe, I took off and also got a chance to explore the town. Following directions is not my forte - just ask my wife. When I arrived at where I thought I should be, I walked into a modern looking store with a some computers and friendly staff.

No one spoke English - and why should they? It's a local town with few if any tourists.

But with my broken Spanish and not a lick of the local Portuguese language , I managed to convey my desire to get onto the Internet.

The friendly staff accomodated, but once I sat down at the computer terminal, the realization sunk in that this was not an Internet cafe, but something like a mobile phone store.

So the staff gave me a computer terminal to use in the middle of their showroom floor - a computer supposed to be used for staff and customers.

Not looking the gift horse in the mouth, I busily typed away, filing my stories and catching up with the wife. Before I knew it, after having been there for almost two hours, I was handed a phone - a call for me? Here, in the store? Really?

"Hello? It's Joe from ICIS," I said. On the other end: "Hello Joe. I'm so sorry, but we need to close the store now."

Apparently the staff had called someone who could speak English and tell me the store was closing. I would have thought anyone else should have employed the universal language of kicking someone out - no English required!

I was so grateful and amazed at their hospitality and tolerance of a silly tourist with a notepad thinking this was the place to use the computer.

Ever helpful to the end, as the store closed, one of the staff pointed me to the real Internet cafe - across the street.

 

Photo credit: Sites-do-Brasil.com

BY SPECIAL GUEST CAROL PICCARO, PRESIDENT AND CEO, U.S. CHEMICALS

Golf is one of the perks of my business, and I feel grateful for the opportunity to entertain and be entertained on the "almighty" course. While I've learned much about the game and the people I have played with over the last 20 years, this particular day it was a "golf first."

But going back, I still remember the day a very patient supplier offered to teach me the sport. I felt like I was just admitted to "the club." And I was hooked. I wanted to have all future meetings outside, without desks or tables, phones or Blackberries - just walking down the course, sharing stories.

What luck to be out of the office, enjoying some of the most wonderful settings in the country - and all this for "work!"

Being in the chemical distribution industry, most of my golf rounds are with men. Therefore, I have a wonderful advantage at golf outings, especially when the longest drive competition is not gender-segregated.

In many cases, the women's tee box is a generous 150 yards in front of the men's. You connect, and you may very well be the recipient of a dozen golf balls and winner of the coveted "longest drive" competition. But then at the 19th hole, all the participants hoot and holler that a woman won the honor, which makes for a long walk to receive the prize.

I felt compelled to write this after traveling to Ohio to play golf with a vendor. Once again, I was the sole female golfer. I accepted the invite and agreed that caddies would be a treat.

I appreciate caddies and enjoy their company, as they move the game along, save time ball searching, and help with reading putts, yardage, and providing advice when choosing a golf club. Playing golf is similar to running a company - you need the assistance of a great caddie to shoulder the load.

As we walked up to our first tee, I was blown away to find four young, attractive women as our caddies. Each girl was more pleasant than the next, with a smile from ear to ear. They gladly embraced the work on a hot afternoon.

And for once, I was not in the minority - I had peers, women, and numbers in my favor! The teasing I received for forward tee boxes or a good drive was now met with five sets of eyes staring down the persecutor. It was a wonderful day, and truly the highlight of this noteworthy golf experience.

Photo credits: U.S. Chemicals, Carol Piccaro

You've no doubt heard, but the chemical sector is in the midst of a downturn. Prices are fluctuating wildly, plants are closing - some permanently, and established market players with strong pedigrees are being wiped from existence.

For us journalists, there is no better indicator of the tough times we're facing than the dearth of invitations to exotic-sounding press junkets that we receive in our email inbox.

Not so many years ago, my colleagues and I would scrabble for the visit to that exclusive restaurant or the trip abroad to meet the executives of an up-and-coming player.

A nice perk didn't detract from our objectivity or guarantee the publication of an article, you understand, but it often helped to create a more relaxed environment for all concerned. No doubt, those being interrogated by the press felt a little more at ease too.

As well as the meals, there were the trips to China or the US - business or first class, naturally (all offers were welcome) - and days out at a rugby, soccer or cricket match. And what about the gifts left on your table at a conference: a pendrive containing a press release, a shiny new pen or a clock, perhaps?

I've heard many a tale of fantastic sounding trips in the past but thanks to cost cutting and belt tightening, those halcyon days of the 1980s and 1990s are now long gone.

It's all very well being emailed information - very helpful, in fact - but you can't beat a gaggle of journalists getting together to query the latest financial figures face to face with company execs, or asking when a plant is finally going to restart, if ever.

Clearly, the chemical sector is going through a period of change but it's a real shame, not only because the press like a good day out - but because this remains a people industry.

Nurturing relationships is essential in our profession; it's all about meeting people and establishing contacts with key figures who we can call upon for an opinion or quotable soundbite now and again. It also helps companies understand what journalists look for in a story and how best to disseminate that information.

Let's hope that cutbacks, and the increased use of webinars and conference calls, don't signal the death knell for the last remaining press events and stop these all important relationships from forming.