Lunchtime Noms

Where is my favorite place to eat lunch? I often pack a lunch and eat it by the big, second-floor windows in the front of the Dwellworks building or outside in the plaza across the street.

But this summer, I set a small goal to enjoy Playhouse Square and the surrounding Cleveland area by trying a new place to eat every week. With the help of fellow interns and other people around the office, I compiled a (large) list of restaurants I’d like to try. So far, I’ve only crossed off about ¼ of the list, but even if I don’t make it to half of the items on the list, at least I still had the pleasure of experiencing some new places and cuisine.

Below is a list of the Cleveland restaurants I have tried thus far, along with a little blurb for each.

+  Walnut Wednesday Food Trucks – while I haven’t made it to the food trucks in a while, I absolutely loved it when I went with the rest of the interns. The area was bustling with people young and old, dressed up or dressed down, and a multitude of trucks offered a variety of food options.
+  Aladdin’s – When Suzy invited us to make the walk to Aladdin’s, I was obliged to say yes. Although not related to the Mediterranean chain restaurant bearing the same name, this Aladdin’s is a market featuring authentic Middle Eastern food. I indulged in pita and hummus.
+  Cibreo – Along with the rest of the associates at Dwellworks’ Cleveland headquarters, I was treated to an Italian lunch at Cibreo for the company’s Town Hall. The atmosphere was impressive and the food was simply tasty.
+  Burgers 2 Beer – When my mom, aunt, and cousin joined me for lunch one day, we found ourselves in this local burger joint. I decided to make things interesting by adding to (the inside of) my burger one of my favorite things: macaroni and cheese. In all honesty, though, it could hardly be tasted.
+  Roth Child Farms – On the day of our MAGIC Customer Service training, the company allowed us to place orders from Roth Child Farms. I nommed on a hearty chicken-salad sandwich. On another occasion, I ventured back to Roth Child Farms for soft-serve ice cream; my banana foster was good, though expensive nonetheless.
+  Farmer’s Market – Once a week, a small farmer’s market congregates in the plaza across the street. If the weather is nice, it’s pleasant to stroll through the market, sample the breads and jams, and listen to the live, exotic music.
+  Map of Thailand – As the name conveys, Map of Thailand is a Thai restaurant and one of the last places I would have chosen on my own to eat at. However, I was excited to expand my food repertoire. As an appetizer, I ordered a rich, creamy, chilled, coconut soup. I tried the cashew chicken as my main course and absolutely loved it. Plus, my rice was served formed to the shape of a cone, and I challenged myself to eat everything with a pair of chopsticks.
+  Cleveland Pickle – Even though its personified pickle mascot is a little creepy, the sub sandwiches from the Cleveland Pickle are both filling and delicious.
+  Slyman’s – Messy is the only word needed to describe a Slyman’s sandwich. Although it is known for its giant corned beef sandwiches, I opted for a warm, turkey sandwich.  I ate the whole thing and was uncomfortably stuffed afterward, but it was worth it.

Where will the next lunch adventure take me? Time will tell!

-Kaitlyn

Having Fun at Work

It is rare to find a company with a core value of FUN. When I first saw this I was extremely surprised. However, throughout this experience so far it is no surprise that FUN is a core value. This company, honestly, can be the definition of “work hard, play harder.” Dwellworks bases their commitment to clients on the value of communication and does the same with its employees. Almost every week we have had some form of event that allowed us to get together and cherish our time spent together.

I can remember the first Friday that we were here the Fun Committee put on an ice cream social! It was delicious and just a little treat to make everyone’s Friday great. We have had numerous events; we had a World Cup Summer Party where everyone got to wear sports attire and had games throughout the day. We recently had a Popsicle social for the Fourth of July. The wellness committee also puts on events to cheer everyone up and to teach us about healthy eating. This internship is filled with numerous things that we have to get done but it is the little things like these that make working here better than anywhere else.

Colton Ebersole

Destination Services Intern

Summer Internship

Wow, we are already half way into the summer and I cannot believe it. I am very impressed with myself and the relationships that have come together at work. All the work I have been doing is great I really feel that sense of contribution to the team. The interns are given actual work to do and quickly see the results of our actions. I like coming into work with things to do and accomplishing tasks is truly gratifying. The office is lively and there is always room to take a break from work and most importantly get work done. I feel the Dwellworks team is really good at prioritizing what needs to be done and doing it in a fun rewarding way, especially towards the end of the billing period. TEAMWORK is everywhere as a lending hand goes a long way in making a success of the company. As a recommendation to our classmates and friends I would say that this internship puts you in a great spot for future opportunities. I feel even more confident and excited of what I am capable to do after this internship. Bottom line at Dwellworks is real work and a real experience with the best of co workers anyone can ask for.

 

Andrew Tam

Intern, Supply Chain

Week 7: Tell Us Something You’ve Learned through the Group Project: Broken Molds

            At the summer’s start, I was placed in the “Cultural Dynamics” intern project.  Basically, before the end of the summer, we’ll present on our respective topic to the rest of the company.  Our project aims to give associates a better understanding of how to interact with people from the other countries where Dwellworks operates.  Maybe, at the end of it, we’ll actually accomplish this. 

            The project is centered on a widely accepted (though deeply flawed) cultural behavior model invented by a man named Geert Hofstede in the 1960s.  Through a long process of surveys and relativity, he developed 5 (now 6) “dimensions” that are supposed to inform outsiders how a certain culture operates.   My portion of the project examines the findings for Canada.

             It was not long into the project though, that I completely jettisoned Hofstede’s model as anything but a rough and mostly useless starting point.  The most striking feature I've found about Canada is its deep diversity and respect for cultural differences: interpreting Canada via sweeping generalization as Hofstede would have us do,  is to profoundly misunderstand Canada altogether.  Perhaps it was the crass pop-modernism of mainstream culture in the ‘60s, but Hofstede’s models are a practice in monocultural reductionism and shaded personal ethnocentrism.  There might be some value in the models, if you can take them with a healthy dose of the realization that they’re relative and a tool, not normative and definite.  But that also means they rapidly approach total uselessness the more you find out about the intricacies of a country and the culture of the people who live there.  That, and the models are based on surveys from high-ranking business people in a given country.  To say they speak for the culture as a whole is an abject fallacy.  They are, at best, a picture of what business people want to see themselves as- not an imprint of the culture itself.

            All of this though is nothing in light of the cultural dimension’s worst facet:  one of the dimensions is defined as “masculinity-feminity.”  Let me say in no uncertain terms, that such a classification with those words and the suggestions they make is offensive, illusive, and dangerous.  There are no such things as m**culinity or f**ininity: just contrived concepts the patriarchy has perpetuated to remain empowered and denigrate women.  To define cultures as more one or the other is an intrepid route to misogynistic racism.

            But the project is not doomed by its flawed starting point.  Thankfully, we've mostly focused on more practical tips for doing business in our respective countries.  We've talked about differences in lingo in other English speaking countries (Canadians call corn dogs "pogos" and electric bills “hydro”).  We've talked about greeting Luxembourgish people in Luxembourgish instead of French or German.  We've discussed how hard it can be for outsiders to operate in Brazil, and Mexican telephone etiquette (best tip: don’t expect a call back).  I’m glad that’s where we've ended up.  I've glad we’ll be talking about history and shared cultural values more than we’ll be examining the boxes Hofstede arbitrarily flung people into based on incomplete and unsubstantial surveys of non-representative groups.  I’m thankful that, as a group, we had the intelligence and class to find out what mattered and what could be instructive, instead of sticking to the tools we were given that weren't doing anything for us. 

            I have learned a lot about Canada through this project.  I could list it all and satisfy the prompt for this post.  But I've learned much more about what it means to respect a country and its culture, and I’ve done that in the context of my research on Canada.  Truthfully, we can’t expect to understand a whole group of people without actually meeting them.  That’s my biggest takeaway from all of this.  But even attempting to understand a culture fully without that opportunity provides an excellent chance to put yourself and your own culture in context.  So often, we think of Canada as a proto-American nation-state, not quite British, not quite American, somehow sorta French, but not defined as anything in and of itself.  We’re dead wrong though.  There is real culture; real, unique, and extraordinary Canadian culture.  That’s true of every country in the world.  Dwellworks is blessed with relationships all over the globe.  The best way to understand the people we work with is through honest conversation and honestly valuing other people’s contribution.  Canadian culture is diverse, respectful, and welcoming- we’d do well to take a page out of their book. 

We’ll never approach other cultures perfectly.  Indeed, we’ll always do much better to approach other cultures from a learning posture, assuming we know next to nothing, and following the lead of our hosts and friends in other cultures.  I hope something useful comes out of our project, but if we end up giving Dwellworks a false sense of security, we’ll have been better off doing nothing.  It’s American arrogance that causes culture blunders (and senseless wars, death, diseases, and poverty); losing that arrogance is trillions of times more important and useful than simply knowing what non-representative Canadian businessmen thought about “power distance” in the 1970s.  Not only was that nigh on 50 years ago, but it was flawed then too. 

If you want to interact well in other cultures, admit your mistakes, ask for help, and realize that you don’t know anything.  That’s what I've learned from the intern group project, and what I’ll strive to take with me everywhere I go.

-Zack

           

Favorite Lunch Spot

So I am a huge fan of food. I love to cook it, eat it, bake it, freeze it, think of something to do with food and I love it! Having said that, choosing a favorite restaurant is nearly impossible. How can you compare a great sandwich with fresh spring rolls? Can you even put pickles in the same category as ice cream just because they are both food? In my mind, you can’t just jumble all food together. There are so many categories to choose from. Since I have not yet mastered how to cook many Asian dishes, especially my personal favorite, Pad Thai, I am usually drawn to Asian restaurants, Thai in particular. I usually judge any Pad Thai that I order based on its taste and freshness, all the usual things, but, it has to impress me as much as my favorite Pad Thai. I have tried numerous Pad Thais in restaurants all over New Orleans, Chicago, Cleveland and more. I love Pad Thai and could probably eat it every day. My true favorite is made in a restaurant called Thai Gourmet in Stow Ohio. After years of comparing, I have finally found its rival. Map of Thailand’s Country Style Pad Thai is amazing. They do everything right. There is just enough sauce, the spice is not too spicy, they include chicken, egg, shrimp, and tofu and they make some of the best red base Pad Thai I have ever had. Having rambled for a paragraph on my love and current obsession with Pad Thai, I am naming my favorite lunch spot in Cleveland Map of Thailand. Even though you have to drive, I recommend it 100%, the food is absolutely worth it!

Simple Advice For A Young Professional

1) Be Sincere. This is probably the most important thing out of anything I could say. In any customer service industry, if you have the sincerity of truly caring about the customers needs and wants, everything else over time will take care of itself. It's as simple as that.


2) Smile. Something so simple as a smile can help create positive thinking for both the person smiling and who they're smiling at. It automatically creates a rapport and gets things off on the right foot. If you don't have any direct contact with the customers, smiling in the office creates a pleasant atmosphere and may help boost productivity.


3) Balance. Be a hard worker, but take a break once in a while. Let your mind catch up, release a little stress. When there's a lot of stress and the pressure is on, just that little bit of stress release can make all the difference. Working hard will also give a satisfaction of accomplishment and bettering yourself.


4) Be Humble. You're hard work will get noticed by the people with who it matters . Boasting about your accomplishments always seems to have a negative effect in the long run, whether it's professional, psychological, or social. If you do have to make people notice, show them what you can do, don't say it.


5) Treat Everyone The Same. No matter who they are, what position, how much they make, their experience, whatever. Being treated the same builds a great work environment, builds unity, boosts morale, and just feels good.


There's nothing groundbreaking here, and I think Dwellworks does all these things. I think if you take these values wherever you'd go, it'll help you not only be a better employee, but ultimately have a better life.


-Frank Hudson

MAGIC Food Pyramid

MAGIC seems to enjoy using a wide array of food comparisons; the layers of an onion for escalations, a donut to signify controllable aspects of life, and a burger for how to deliver news. Why not take it a step further, I'm going to create a MAGIC food pyramid that will make all your wildest dreams come true. Well, not really, but it should help improve customer service and make it easier to communicate with anyone.


MAGIC steps essentially go through the process of communication, M in the beginning, C at the end. The pyramid I'm suggesting  takes into account the fundamentals of what every MAGIC conversation should have. As the pyramid gets higher and higher, each area builds in importance with the last, with the top being able to create the ultimate experience. However, without the areas in between, the pyramid will break down, increasing the possibility of a tragic experience. So for instance, if someone has a strong knowledge base (meat and dairy), but doesn't have the simple foundations (pasta and cereal) the conversation won't be as magical.


The bottom portion, normally known as the portion for bread, rice, pasta, etc., is the foundation of the pyramid, the basic foods where we get our energy from. In this case, will also be the foundation of our pyramid. The key points in this section are sincerity, empathy, listening, and personable. This is the basic substance of any MAGIC conversation. Even if you mess up every other aspect, if you show you truly do care and tried to help them, they will respond in a positive or less negative matter.


The two middle portions are the fruits and vegetables section. These are important to maintain health, and in this case will maintain a healthy conversation. The key points here are things like formalities, remembering a persons name, to be sorry and apologetic, and to say 'please' and 'thank you'. These things will maintain a healthy conversation, and along with the bottom section in the pyramid, will help create a MAGIC experience.


The upper two portions consistent of meat and dairy items.  These foods are usually associated with muscle and bone health, to be strong if you will. In this case, these two areas will help build us strong communication with the customer, and help them in whatever it is they may need. The key points in this phrase include being able to problem solve, give accurate answers, and educate the customer.  If you don't have the answer, send them over to someone that does. Ask good questions, and be engaged. This is the heart of what everyone wants, if you can do this along with the other sections, you will have a good MAGIC experience.


The final portion, the top, is where the sweets and oils are. Good in moderation, but bad if you have too much, this is the most tricky section, but also the one that can be the most rewarding. The key points in this phrase include to be able to build a rapport with the customer beyond conventional means. Match their tone, if they're serious give them what they want in a very professional matter. If they're a little more loose and maybe initiate some laughter, joke around with them for a minute. Build common ground, maybe talk about the weather outside, a sports team, or if they mention something that you're familiar with, talk about that.  Finally, share their frustration. Tell about a problem you had that was similar, or share their frustration and turn it into something that you could laugh at. NOT EVERY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CAN BE LIKE THIS, HOWEVER.  Do not talk negatively about a specific person or company. Do not get too much off topic. Just as with real sweets and oils, too much of it, or using it at the wrong time, can damage or completely ruin a MAGIC experience. You can have a good experience just by sticking to the other sections of the pyramid.  However, if you can identify with accuracy when to use these techniques, you can create a relationship that truly, truly is MAGIC.


-Frank Hudson