Mexican Worker Tips

Thanks for coming back to check things out. I hope you've used this information to take respectful win-win action. Make it a Great Day! Emeric

My uncle Esgardo Leon was a Mexican guestworker.

Uncle Esgardo came to the U.S. during WWII.  The guestworker program was called the Bracero Program.  Although there were documented abuses against many Mexican guestworkers, uncle Esgardo didn’t have any complaints.

The Bracero program wasn’t perfect, but Uncle Esgardo told my dad the Americans treated him well and paid him well. They RESPECTED him.   Uncle Esgardo merely wanted to send money home to help the family.

Reminder: Respect is the foundation for your success with your Mexican workers.

To Your Success,

Emeric

Please hit me in the forehead with a trenching shovel. Better yet, whip my bare-back with a string trimmer.  Ahhh. Thanks. 

This article should be titled H-2B: Obama’s Labor Pleasure.   Here’s why.

I just received an email from U.S. Immigration , and I’m editing , “an immigration bill would likely get proposed for all the illegals by end of ’09, but because guest worker programs (like H-2B) take jobs from U.S. citizens, any legislation is unlikely to include favorable guest worker legislation.”

Regardless of whether you use H-2B or not, are they saying the millions of illegals don’t take jobs from U.S. citizens, but the tiny population of guest workers do? I thought Americans won’t do any of these jobs?

I forgot, pardon me for not letting my Berkeley education speak out, illegals and guest workers aren’t allowed to do the same kind of work. Furthermore, Americans relish the opportunity to work at the same exact jobs as a legal H-2B guest worker.

 Hold my forehead while I vomit. Do they think we are that stupid?

Last time I checked with my Green Industry clients, no one had a parking lot full of Americans looking for work.

Furthermore, I read our Nation’s largest labor unions A.F.L.-C.I.O. and “Change to Win” launched their Obama Immigration support a couple of weeks ago and are now officially in bed with Obama.  As if they weren’t already having a victory cigarette. Blowing smoke at the true Green Industry and small businesses like you and me.

Of course, if you’re an H-2B user, you already know the labor unions hate your guts because they aren’t getting a piece of that action…so you must be an evil employer…maybe even a Reaganite!

Even if you’re a Lib, please explain what’s going on. I’ll put the comment up so everyone can understand. Come on, let’s hold the truth stick together. No bongs though. Those poor, albeit fun, choices stayed in my Berkeley college days.

So…are we preparing the table for the next generation of union entitlement?

How do you feel about this? Leave me a comment.

Here’s your tip. I’ve personally experienced over the past 20+ years:

“You can take the Mexican out of Mexico, but you can’t take Mexico out of the Mexican.” That means at least 97% of the respectful tips I give you will still be effective to manage your Mexican worker teams, no matter what.

How do you feel about all this? Leave me a comment.

This important “heads up” is quick and important.

Cut the limes, serve the salt, and have a shot. The Mexican Battle against the French is celebrated on 5 May (Cinco de Mayo), remembering the victory of Mexican forces over the French invaders in the hills near the city of Puebla in 1862.

It took the French a year to bring reinforcements and take the Mexican capital in 1863.

Cinco de Mayo is an important symbol of national sovereignty and parades are held throughout the country.

Here in the U.S., it’s a great excuse to knock back a couple of peer-pressure induced shots of tequila.  Actually, a Margarita on the rocks sounds kinda tasty. Toss in chips and salsa.

Your workers know about Cinco de Mayo. So keep an eye out to see who’s dragging the morning of the 6th.

Salud!
Emeric

“Your Mexican Workers are Infected with Swine Flu and Causing The Flu Pandemic.”

Is that what your clients think? 

Your politically correct clients probably don’t have the guts to say anything, but you better believe they think anyone with dark skin, dark hair and dark eyes is infected with the deadliest swine flu virus.

I’ve been struggling with this since my neighbor jokingly asked if I had symptoms. He knows I’m half-Mexican. Look at my picture. Can you profile me? No. But probably 99.9% of your labor force will be profiled. I don’t care if they are Central Americans. To a typical “non-Hispanic” customer, they all “look like Mexicans” . Therefore they are all potential swine flu carriers.

Tell me what you are doing about this. Are you issuing breathing masks (like all the news channels show) so it looks like you are proactive? Or do you think that will alarm your clients causing them to leave in droves.

This is a first for me. It’s a real “pickle”. My opinion is you hit it head-on now and fast with employee masks and personal phone calls and  letters or visits to clients explaining your pro-active measures to “pitch-in” and combat this pandemic.  

If you do nothing, will you be seen as not caring?  If you are pro-active, are you worse or better off? 

Is this an opportunity? Do you issue press-releases saying what you are doing to protect your workers and clients? Show the media your anti-flu program. You may get the TV stations to give you tens of thousands of dollars of free publicity.

What angles are you looking at? Or will you stick your head in the sand? Leave me a comment below.

Your Mexican Worker Tips Earth Day Lesson: Mexicans can recycle nearly anything. Take advantage of it.

A discarded tomato can becomes a flower pot. A little bucket. Add some discarded wire and now you have a solid muffler patch. Flatten it out and you have a fix for the rusted out hole in your truck floorboard.

The list goes on.  Cardboard boxes become collapsable suitcases. Cardboard works as temporary carpet. Cardboard can be sold to recyclers.

Think before you toss old materials into the dumpster. Ask your Mexican (or Central American) supervisor if anyone might be able to use whatever it is.  That way, your workers understand you know the discards have value and there is no shame in accepting them. This also keeps your workers from shameful dumpster diving.

I personally know how it feels to dumpster dive.  Growing up in Southern California, my Dad was laid-off for about 9 months. So to help stretch unemployment dollars and savings, we’d look in the McCoy’s Market dumpster for damaged canned goods.  It was kind of sneaky and fun for me, but I’ll bet you my Dad didn’t have the same feelings. 

At your home, instead of hauling old furniture to the curb, think about your workers.

Make sure you talk to the supervisors first so they can figure out who should get the goods. That way you are not seen as showing favoritism to any one worker. 

All this builds mutual respect and trust. 

I’d love to hear your recycling stories.

Happy Earth Day-Everyday,

Emeric

Susan Boyle: Sings for Your Mexican Workers

 You won’t find some mamsie-pamsie sensitivity lecture here.

This is about your business profits and making quick assumptions.

 OK. Susan Boyle doesn’t fit the mold of the typical star with great pipes.

 What does Susan Boyle have in common with your Mexican workers?

 Susan, like your Mexican workers, is humbly looking for just a little r-e-s-p-e-c-t.

Susan Boyle’s looks, by Anglo-Saxon cover-girl standards, are, well, not so hot. The judges on “Britain’s Got Talent” (American Idol in the U.S.) assumed, like most of us, she couldn’t be good. Why? Because of her looks. Yeah, and get the judges to admit that. Like an episode of “Lie to Me”, the judges’ faces tell the truth.   

If Susan were drop-dead gorgeous, no one would say a peep. YouTube would have 14 million less hits.

 Elusive respect. The difference, at least, is Susan Boyle is finding respect in her own U.K. She finally was given a chance to prove herself. Because of her voice.  At the “non-pop star” age of 47. Hooray for Susan.

 What about your poor uneducated Mexican (and Central American) workers? They want a chance at respect too.

 South of our border, there’s no respect for the poor uneducated class.
Let them sing their hearts out. Still no respect.

 Your Mexican laborer came North to the U.S. to get respect. Respect for the family.

How?     By earning money and sending it home.

 Money commands respect south of the border. With money, the impossible can happen.

Haven’t you heard the Mexican saying “With Money, a dog will dance”?

 In Mexico and most other nations, the educated generally make the most money. To a Mexican, money is one thing commanding respect. Another is education. But a good education in Mexico…costs money. Nice vicious circle.

 Sure, there are lessons to learn about never judging a book by its cover.

 But most Americans look at Mexican laborers and automatically assume they are good workers. Just drop them into the slot you can’t fill with Americans. Since the Mexicans stereotypically are good workers, everything should go smoothly. You pay them. You make money. Win-win.  Right?

 There’s just one teeny-weenie-itsy-bitsy hurdle. Americans forget (or don’t comprehend) Mexicans have different values. Different doesn’t mean bad or good. It merely means what makes Mexicans tick is way different than the typical American (Anglo-Saxon stock).

 Americans think everyone should be accountable and pull themselves up by the bootstraps. Don’t you? I do. But this isn’t about me.

 This is about your business.  Business 101: Productivity and profitability go up when you leverage worker’s strengths. And if your desire is wild succees without the typical frustration, you must maximize your workers’ potential. Simply, that means you must find out what the workers value and manage accordingly.  (Stop paying attention to the HR socialists telling you to treat everyone the same!)

 Respect is the BIGGEST key to your success with your Mexican workers. Mutual and sincere.

 Take advantage of the instruction and lessons I give you. You’ll discover the best, fastest and proven ways to get the edge and manage your Mexican workforce respectfully. Putting you in frustration-free control.

 Send me a comment about your assumptions and results-good or bad- you made with your Mexican (and Central American) workers.

To Your Success,

Emeric

When was the last time you listened to a “motivational” speaker? Chris Farley’s SNL skits don’t count (very funny though).

You typically feel rah-rah good for a few days, then you’re back to the same ol’same ol’.

Your Mexican workers are motivated by tons of things. Most of them are not what green industry and other employers comprehend. Positive Motivation comes from within. The only thing you can do as an employer is create the environment so positive motivation can grow and stay at high levels.

Saying and doing the right things the right way from a Mexican viewpoint create short term motivation AND set the stage for long term motivation.

Here’s one of many ways to set the stage for Extreme Long Term Motivation. 

This tip will:

-Instill Pride
-Drive Respect
-Keep Profits in Your Pocket
-Maintain Trust
-Make You the Employer of Choice

This tip has a huge long-term payoff, but it requires some work. Work? Who wants to work?

Everyone takes pictures of their projects. So, throughout the year, accumulate pictures of projects and crews. Create a “Yearbook”. As simple as a stapled set of pages from a color printer or spiral bound at Staples.

If you have seasonal workers, give the Yearbook to them so they can take home and show their families. This shows the family the great work being done by your employee and how he contributes to the team AND how he garners RESPECT for the family.

The family sees this and YOU become the respected employer of choice. This also puts the family in a position to support YOU. Great loyalty booster. Great recruiting tool. Shows the family YOU exist and are helping their cause.

Tell me what you’ve done to push motivation. What do you think worked? What you think back-fired?

To Your Success,

Emeric McCleary

So many ways to instill accountability.  Here’s one.

In the Mexican Worker Secrets Tool Kit  I discuss in the Training and the Management sections to always, when possible, train as a team. And if it’s one-on-one, always mention “that’s how the team does it”.

Here’s why:

• Mexicans are group, not individually oriented
• The group will self police
• As a team, you don’t single out an individual, it’s about the team!

To Your Success,

Emeric

P.S. Give me your comments-good, bad or ugly.

In a previous article you discovered Mexicans can’t handle shame. And you discovered the operational disaster you can have on your hands when your worker feels shame. You must read this. It’s worth your time.

One HUGE way Mexicans feel shame is when they are blamed.

That’s why your workers give you answers like “No se” or “Algo sucedio”  (I don’t know or Something happened).

Those answers avoid a sure path to blame shame.

So what you should do is blame things, not people.

The strategy sounds crazy to American entrepreneurs

because we are all about individual accountability.

Before I give you the way to blame things, you must be willing to think about your own American culture. Ok?

Especially decisive, successful owners/managers like you.

When you want an answer you like to go direct

and get to the point. No time wasted. Just the facts

so you can make your next decision. Fair enough?

Mexicans aren’t direct. No straight line to the

correct answer. It’s one big  MEXICAN CIRCLE.

If you want the real answer, you typically have to

approach in a circular way.

Females learn this technique fast.

Males, you’ll have to work harder to

train your brain to understand this concept.

Example: You’re sitting in your truck and at a distance you see your Mexican super or worker accidently backed over a backpack blower. They get out of the truck to see what happened and try to start the blower.

Won’t start.

He doesn’t think you saw it happen.

Your American style kicks in. You drive over

and ask “What did you do?” Hoping for an honest

explanation.  Often, the answer may be

“something happened” or “no se”

Mexicans often say this supernatural statement

because Mexicans struggle to take blame.

Blame is shame.

To an American, this all can seem nuts. Why?

Because Americans are buried in their own culture too!

You tell the driver American style…

“I saw You run over the blower. You have to make sure everything is in the truck before You move it.” “You know we talked about this in safety training”.

What YOU just did is alienate the Mexican, shamed him,

embarassed him and in essence called him

a stupid big fat liar.  What YOU did is stick a dagger

in his heart.  He knows you now hate him. No way out.

He thinks you’ll fire him. He has shamed his crew, and family.

He might even consider leaving. Attitude goes bad.

He gets gun shy. Fears making the simplest decisions.

Might even undermine and spread his fears amongst the crew.

It’s not that the Mexican is some sensitive,

thin skinned mamsie pamsie.

You’re faced with complex Mexican cultural code.

You can’t change how a Mexican thinks. (If you think you can, slap yourself repeatedly until you wake up from your dream)

So here’s how you leverage Mexican cultural code

to keep your team rolling proud.

First, don’t use the word YOU. Don’t blame the person.

Blame things.  There’s not enough time in this article

to get into the blame explanation. Just hear me out.

The best approach would be to get out of your truck, say hello shake hands and mention “It looks like something happened”.  The Mexican will most likely say “yes, something happened”.

You will say “looks like the truck ran this over”

The Mexican will probably agree.

The next thing you might say is “we have to watchout, these trucks can be dangerous”.

Using this approach you blamed things, not people.

No blame, no shame. Your worker and crew continues to work in harmony. Life is good.

Sounds crazy? Sounds stupid? To an American yes. You gotta practice this. Doesn’t cost you a dime to implement. Your returns are in spades.

Send me your comments.

In Part 1 of Mexicans, VooDoo, and Web Pages we compared your Mexican workers to web pages.  Both controlled by strange code.

Use me as your “Webmaster” to interpret the code and give you the tips, techniques and strategy to cut out frustration and trial and error. (Keeps your bank account and your mind happier). 

Come on, let’s have some fun.

“No se” “Algo sucedio”

“No se” pronounced noh-seh means “I don’t know”.

“Algo sucedio” pronounced awl-goh sue-seh-thee-oh means “something happened”.

How many times have you heard your workers say this?

Now, to pass this barrier, you gotta understand another.

Another layer of the giant Mexican onion.

Mexican workers say “No se” and “Algo sucedio”

because they can’t handle shame from blame.

(I cover this trainwreck in the Master Manual and the

Culture and Management CDs in Mexican Worker Secrets Master Tool Kit).

So….Instead of blaming people,  blame THINGS.

Huh? It’s OK if you’re scratching your head and saying “that’s stupid”.

Yeah, I know it sounds crazy because as a business owner you’re all about personal accountability. Me too.

And this is not about me. It’s all about your success…a win-win for you and your Mexican workers.

In the last article of this series, you’ll see exactly how to get around the “No se” and “Algo sucedio” roadblocks and how to blame things with no shame.

Keeps your crews hummin’. Profits in your pockets. Mama and Papa happy.

Send me note, tell me what you feel.

Emeric