Working Wisdom: quote about employees and work

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all of one’s lifetime.”

American writer Mark Twain was born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens (30 November 1835 – 21 April 1910). In his lifetime he wrote numerous novels as well as working as an entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer. His best-known novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), which was a scathing satire on entrenched attitudes, particularly racism.

This quote in Working Wisdom is taken from another of Mark Twain’s books, called Innocents Abroad – a compilation of humorous letters he wrote during a trip around Europe and the Middle East aboard the steamship Quaker City. The underlying message in this quote is relevant for many organizations today, particularly against the backdrop of globalization and complex international supply chains. Companies must understand and address cultural differences in order for supply chain management to be as successful as possible.