Qualitime: Short true stories from daily life, written by our colleague Fred Vahlkamp, these short stories offer a glimpse into everyday moments. With a bit of imagination, you can relate them to topics such as process management, work instructions, and learning about quality. Enjoy reading!
With passion, sentences are spoken into the void. Whether someone responds or starts a new story remains unclear.
A warm welcome
Our usual café is closed on Sundays, so we order our “café con leche y agua sin gas” in a nearby village. To our surprise, the young woman taking our order asks if we want our coffee in a glass and whether the water should be chilled. That level of attention is unusual for the always friendly yet somewhat reserved Spaniards in this less touristy part of Andalusia. She expertly crafts our coffee with the shining Cimbali espresso machine behind the bar. Clearly pleased to have foreign visitors, she practices her English. English is rarely heard here, so a compliment is in order. She beams as she explains that her sister lives in Portsmouth, where she occasionally visits and studies at the university—if we understand correctly, as a translator from English to French.
The town square serves as stage for a village ritual
With our coffee on the table before us, we sit on a small terrace overlooking the town square, where men from the village chat in the shade of the buildings. The lilting Spanish is incomprehensible to us. Watching and listening, it feels like a series of monologues. Sentences are spoken with passion into the void. Whether someone reacts or starts a new story remains unclear.
The Clip-Clop of hooves and Andalusian heritage
The clatter of horse hooves grabs our attention. The Arabian influences in this part of Spain are evident, especially in the horses. These aren’t for leisurely rides in a training arena—their fiery temperament is unmistakable. Often, the same can be said of their riders. We wait in suspense, hoping the horse will enter the market square, but the sound fades away.
A passionate encounter: Si, Caballo
“Caballo,” says the man sitting next to us on the terrace. We nod, “Horse.” His beautifully weathered face is deeply tanned, every wrinkle telling a story. His age is indeterminate, like many of the men on the square. Without waiting for a response, he begins a story. From what we can gather, the horse turned away, and he asks if we like horses. Si, we do. Enthusiastically, he continues. I gaze into his bright brown eyes and try to feel the conversation because I can’t understand it. Like all Spaniards, he speaks with passion and gestures, which helps—gestures we can interpret.
He takes us back to his youth, explaining with the universal gesture for “paying” that they couldn’t afford a car and always relied on horses. Si, caballo. As the conversation progresses, his voice grows more intense, his gestures more incomprehensible. He tells us about working in the hills, day in and day out with the horse in the mountains—all here in the area where we now sit. It was hard work. From his gestures, I gather it was a lot for little, as he repeats the “paying” motion.
Language as a bridge (or barrier)
This is becoming awkward. The man is full of energy, recounting the harsh realities of growing up in the remote mountains, but we can’t understand him. I know how to handle this. I step inside for “dos café con leche más,” which usually results in another round of coffee. I ask the young woman if she’d be kind enough to translate part of the man’s story. I explain that his passionate storytelling makes me uncomfortable, not knowing exactly what he’s saying.
A few moments later, our escape from the situation emerges with two coffees on a tray. She looks at me and says, “If the man tries to sell you a horse, just say ‘No Gracias.’”
Understanding as the key to success
If the man tries to sell you a horse, just say No Gracias
Language is essentially a set of rules to facilitate understanding. That understanding is crucial for setting and achieving shared goals—or more fundamentally, for survival. The same principle applies to businesses and organizations. Here, rules in the form of procedures, work instructions, and more are necessary to work together toward defined objectives. It underscores the importance of speaking the same language within your organization, which in turn demands a well-designed and accessible management system.
