European Summer Lunacy

Janssen Pharmaceutica is based in Beerse, Belgium. Each year, throughout an entire summer month, the production and research division is shut down; it’s crickets from conveyors to labs. The original reason was probably due to regular maintenance; the story as of my last stay in 2000 was due solely to it being vacation time.

There is a lunatic tradition throughout Europe that during summer, (nearly) nobody and nothing is productive; I hear this daily in one form or another. The stories from those around me are quite entertaining. Germans and Austrians have this-and-this week off, the Italians another period. It’s crazy to think that entire nations come to a grinding halt because the Croatian Coast or some silly extracurricular activity came-a-calling. Of course, this is an exaggeration but the truth of the matter is that built-in to (many/most) Europeans is the socialist dogma that everybody is entitled to a summer retreat. In North America, vacation is a privilege with little-to-no impact on the economic and/or productive capacity of the micro-or-macro society’s machinery. Vacations tend to be extremely well planned and absorbed, they are not taken for granted in any sense of the term. Again, there are exceptions but this is pretty much de facto. The simple fact of the matter is that to Americans, going AWOL is akin to a slap in the face and is typically treated as such.

Note: AWOL is used liberally here to also mean “at a bad time” or “when it’s completely stupid or ignorant” or “just after asking for help”.

Three separate discussions today ignited my interest in this phenomenon. Since this tradition is foreign to me, I have some basic questions for a European audience:

First, if you are a startup or small business, how do you manage a potential global audience? What’s your equivalent for ”This page left intentionally blank?”

Second, if we talk community and “no (wo)man is an island”, how do you manage the others who are committed to you or your idea?

Third, how can the EU possibly and effectively compete as a global power-horse when this tradition (plus that Siesta nonsense) takes priority? I’m paraphrasing: “where’s the work ethic?”

As a misplaced (perhaps misguided) Canuck in the Land of a Million Kings, this whole summer nonsense irritates me. I’m tired of responses taking weeks because Art Directors are on their Yacht. I’m bored of the bragging rights CEOs/etc think they gain from some stupid personal conquest. Let’s just agree that wasting other people’s time is rude (aka: prickish), asking for commitment when you can’t guarantee it yourself is bad policy (aka: fucked up), and not responding promptly or professionally gets you fired at McDonalds.

Finally, here’s a video for all you professionals in search of a summer reality that includes Barney:

Thanks to Markus, Jason and Jenny for the conversation. Let’s continue the discussion because I’m convinced both ethics suck …