Welcome House: Story of a Landed Immigrant

As I began to read Douglas Todd’s article, titled “Seeking Refuge 1: Finding security in Metro Vancouver enclaves”, in Saturday, December 18^th edition of the Vancouver Sun, I couldn’t help but to reflect back on my teenage years as an immigrant.

Not sure how many know this, but my family began its journey in Canada in 1988 as “landed immigrants”, a term that is used to describe those that have been admitted to Canada as permanent residents. But make no mistake about it; we endured the hardship of being refugees in another country (more to come on this in my future blog entries).

But I want you to imagine this: A 15 year-old boy with a messy curly hair, with a commanding grasp of 4 English words (Hello, How Are You, Desk, Black Board), looking outside at the Luv-A-Fair night club while sitting by the window in a long blue jean pea coat with white furry hoodie attached to the collar (which by the way truly belonged to the 1980s and I’m ever so grateful that that fashion trend did not continue), tight blue jean pants and high-top runners. Where was I? I was at Welcome House.

Fast forward to 2010: A 38 year-old mature and professional corporate recruiter with short salt-and-pepper hair, sitting at my kitchen table in Surrey, BC (the fastest growing municipality in British Columbia), reading the Vancouver Sun, in my recently purchased Old Navy Candy Cane pyjamas, drinking my French-pressed Kona coffee, writing my blog, while my beautiful daughter (2^nd generation Canadian thanks to her mom, who is an Indo-Canadian) is fast asleep in her room and my lovely wife is working on her computer in the dining room. Please note that I still have no clue as to what English language is.

So would I have been here if it wasn’t for Welcome House? Maybe! But did Welcome House help me and my family during our first couple of weeks in Vancouver? Absolutely!

Remember this: Teenage refugees did not choose their paths prior to their arrival in their new country; those paths were chosen by their parents, politicians, diplomats and the military. However, we as Canadians, have the ability to pave a new path for them, one that will provide security, education, self-esteem and empowerment.

You don’t have to look far to see the success of our refugee and immigration policies; just look around and find me and thousands like me.

Thank you for reading,

Armin

Ps. Thank you mom and dad for sacrificing everything you had to make sure that my brother and I have an awesome life! We owe you big J

Please have a seat!

Today’s business world is spending millions of dollars on training employees on customer service. From how to greet a customer to how to say goodbye, it’s all there in print, blogs, e-training modules, etc. You name it and it is there.

But here’s a revolutionary idea: Why not teach people how to be polite? I mean from the time they are born to the graduation day from a post-secondary institution? That way we’re almost (and it’s a big almost) guaranteed to have a polite and people-oriented workforce.

I remember my grandmother used to say: Armin, there’re numerous ways to ask someone to do something; for example, you can ask someone to please have a seat, or you can ask them to sit down, or you can ask them to sit the @#&* down. Ultimately, they all mean the same thing; however, you’re sure to get a better response from the former than the latter. Gosh, was she ever right!

I’ve noticed that more and more people are beginning to confuse impoliteness with assertiveness, insincerity with charisma, lying with exaggerating the truth, and rudeness with being direct. Where did we go wrong? Did our attempts to raise children that are competitive, strong-minded, well spoken, highly educated, fearless, and charismatic fail? Did we instead produce children that are willing to disregard others at all costs, shallow, addicted to technology, and turned off by school, judgemental and outright arrogant? I’d like to think not.

So why not begin with teaching manners instead of customer service. I would argue that the former will most definitely lead and encourage the latter. Here’s why: It is through manners that one begins to learn to greet, listen, share, respect others, and be aware of others’ feelings, offer assistance, volunteer, and wait for one’s turn. Aren’t these the type of characteristics that we look for in leaders?

Thank you for reading,

Armin

PS. My grandmother also said that one can get away with murder if he’s got a smile on his face. Never wanted to try that theory but it sure sounds right! Miss you grandma.

My 1st delicious Big Mac

Ah, I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was about 7 years old when my mom took me to a McDonald’s restaurant in Tehran, Iran. She bought me a Big Mac and it was love at first bite. Unfortunately, the 1979 revolution started shortly after and my beloved McDonald's was gone.

So I had to wait few more years until I had my next Big Mac, in Turkey. The news hit the local papers like a storm: First McDonald's to open in Istanbul. However, I was devastated for not being able to taste another Big Mac for several weeks as the line-up to the restaurant was crazy long. But my moment came... it was a cold winter night in mid 80’s and that meant the tourists were gone and not that many people ventured the streets. So me, my parents and my young brother walked in and placed our orders. And I got my Big Mac. What a treat!

Sadly though, I had to wait a little while longer for my next wonderful bite of a Big Mac. This time it was in Vancouver, Canada. It was a cold February day in 1988. Snow covered Robson Street, however, did not deter me from walking 4 blocks to McDonald's to buy my Big Mac. There I was, 15 years old, a new immigrant, and dressed like an immigrant, walking the streets proudly. Home at last!

Making Vancouver home meant no longer living in fear of wars that tend to haunt the Middle East. It meant that we didn't have to worry about a bomb being dropped less than a kilometre from where we lived. It meant my parents didn't have to worry about me serving in the army. It meant not having to worry about whether or not our actions can land us in prison. It meant that we now lived in a place with unlimited opportunities. It meant that I could find at least one McDonald's in every neighbourhood or at a highway stop. It meant that I could taste a Big Mac whenever I wanted!

McDonald's ~ thank you for my first Big Mac. I still remember my first bite!

Thank you for reading,

Armin

What do I want to be…

… when I grow up? I want to be the face of humanity. I want to be a devoted spouse and a caring parent. I want to be a child that my parents can be proud of. I want to be a sibling that is always there when needed. I want to be a friend that other friends can rely on. I want to be a stranger that others feel comfortable with. I want to be the one that makes others laugh in a party.

I want to be like my friend P.N.!

P is a loving wife who loves her husband dearly.

P is a caring mother that all children should be envious for not having.

P is a sibling that despite losing a brother managed to call her friends to see how they were doing.

P is a daughter that stood by her mother’s side every day while she was battling cancer and defeating it.

P is a friend that calls all her friends out of the blue to say hi and offers help with whatever they need.

P is a type of person that you walk by in the street and lock a stare for a second and walk away knowing that she has one of the gentlest souls.

P is a joy to know and be friends with.

P ~ you’re one of a kind and I hope I’ll grow up to be like you!

Thank you for reading,

Armin

Would you hire this candidate?

What if I told you that I know of a candidate that is looking for work at your company? I go on explaining that this candidate is a well educated Canadian of Chinese background, who has 15 years of experience and is technically strong. She moved up the corporate ladder fairly quickly and lived through major reorganizations over the years. Furthermore, she is passionate about the products, supportive of the corporate vision and mission statement, and represents her department well.

My question is: Would you hire this candidate?

However, there’s a dark side to this story! What if I told you that she, along with few others in this promising company with a very bright future, publicly criticized and demanded the resignation of the CEO, who gave in and decided to step down? CEO’s departure resulted in a major drop of share prices to near collapse, and the competition began to gain grounds. Engagement began to slip and upset shareholders began to sell fast and walk away. So now the company is stuck without a leader (and no prospects), low morale, and lack of funds. Pretty soon, it will lose its top internal talent to other organizations, leaving it with no choice but to hire new employees, who may or may not work out.

Again, my question is: Would you hire this candidate?

Sadly, this story is as real as it gets albeit the candidate is not yet looking for a job. If you’ve been following the British Columbia politics over the past couple of months you’d know who the candidate is. It’s Ms. Jenny Kwan! Through her miscalculations, lack of consultation (or proper consultation from her circle), and by allowing her emotions to run “wild”, she left behind a mess that will take years to clean up, leaving British Columbians without any real competition to challenge the ruling party.

Now my question is: Would Jenny Kwan’s actions be viewed as acceptable in a private / publicly traded company? Would they have been tolerated?

Thank you for reading,

Armin

PS. I’m supporting Kevin Falcon in the Liberal leadership race and the subsequent provincial elections. Exciting times!!!

Secret to Success as I see it…

Earlier this week, someone asked me to write about “the secret to success”. To be honest, this suggestion took me by surprise; how would I condense the meaning of success into a blog entry? Well, here’s my attempt based on my own personal experiences, which I’m sure won’t be the same for everyone (but I’d love to hear your thoughts):

• To Love: From my days as a “Coffee Boy” in an office to working at McDonald’s as a “Crew Chief” to being a professional in-house recruiter, I’ve always loved what I do. Loving the job brings passion, which will translate to confidence. Simply put, if there’s no love or if the love is lost, then it’s time to move on.
• To Learn: Learning from past experiences will certainly help with achieving success. Let’s face it, there’s someone out there that has gone through similar experiences before; so it’s important to seek out how they have dealt with it. It must be remembered that Communication = Discussion = Learning = Success (or failure, depending on the final approach).  
• To Listen: Someone (and I’m sorry for forgetting who it was… maybe it was a quote I read somewhere) once told me that “Great News is Good News; Good News is No News; No News is Bad News.” Listening to feedback is hard; however, it’s the cornerstone of success. Constructive criticism is hard to accept, but knowing where it comes from will definitely help with reducing the impact. The way I see it, if they didn’t care, they wouldn’t tell me how to improve myself.
• To Lead: Not being afraid to share or put forward ideas, or disagreeing politely in a private setting. How often have we seen decisions being made that we don't agree with? But more importantly, how often have we stepped up to diplomatically voice our objections and provide solutions? A leader always consults with others and at the end offers a solution to a problem, otherwise, there’s no problem. And that’s what I think differentiates a leader from a follower.

Thank you for reading,

Armin

PS. what could I have possibly learned from McDonald’s you ask? The 3-C’s: Cleanliness, Co-operation, and Coordination.

People Call Me A Field-Expert!!! How Curious...

Before I begin my new series of blogs relating to the way I perceive the world of business, I would like to take a moment and thank those that have inspired and pushed me into writing. In follow-up to my successful blog titled "My Journey: The First 40 Years", I have decided to share my thoughts on business topics that are of interest to me. I hope you enjoy reading and willing to share your thoughts and experiences.

A bit of a disclaimer: I am not going to pretend that I know much about business; what I write about has to do with my own personal experiences and in no way, shape or form is an expert advice. My blog entries are meant to raise questions and give yours truly, a non-expert, a place to share my thoughts.

Another disclaimer: I don't write well, so please read at your own risk. When correcting my spelling, grammar and / or shortfalls, please be gentle as it could hurt my feelings :).

Final disclaimer: What I write about is not in any shape or form reflective of my past, present or future employers, albeit I owe them my success as it stands right now. I have only positive stories to share about my employers, and respective managers, as they have been gracious, kind, patient and nurturing. All my progress can be contributed to those that I have worked for and with.

I hope you'll provide your feedback and thoughts. If not, I'm going to assume that I'm right, which could mean that over time I'll begin to think of myself as an expert.

You have my personal commitment that I'll try my best to keep the content under 350 words. If I can't write about it in a short order, then I won't write about it at all :).

See you soon and thank you for reading,
Armin

The day I learned the true meaning of “Patience”…

Every day is an enlightening day (lets call it an “Aha!” moment), don’t you agree? I had one of those moments not that long ago; actually, it was yesterday, when I was reminded that “I need to be patient”. Who would dare to challenge me this way you ask? Well, it was my daughter.

For the purpose of this blog and my commitment to keep it short, let me say that yesterday morning was not a pleasant one.

As my daughter and I were leaving for school in the morning, she remembered that she “needs” to take a “silly band” to school to trade with her classmates; however, the one that she was planning to take was no where to be found. Frustrated with the fact that I’m running late, I began to lose my cool and threatened to leave with or without a “silly band”. This, of course, did not sit well with my daughter, who viewed it as her father’s absolute lack of understanding of what was important to her.

Needless to say, we left the house with a “silly band”, albeit not the one that she wanted to trade, along with her tearful eyes and a sense of frustration.

After a quick hug and a kiss at the school entrance, I quickly jumped into the car worrying about how late I’ll be for work. During my drive though, all I could think of was how the situation become so tense so quickly, especially after a nice morning that my daughter and I shared?

So I asked my daughter and here’s what she said: “Daddy, you’ll just have to be patient”.

That made me think of how many times in life have I forgotten to be patient? How often have I undermined what is important to others because of what is important to me took on greater importance? How often have I lost my cool for the simple fact that I didn’t want to be 5 minutes late?

So here’s my commitment: Next time I’m about to lose my patience, I’ll think back to what my daughter said. I’m sure that my blood pressure will thank me for it.

So stay cool and thank you for reading!

Armin

Ps. I apologized to my daughter and I had a great evening playing with Moon Sand!