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September 30, 2005
Poland Getting to the Next Level
I went to Warsaw this week to visit our new office. I was met at the reception area by thirteen enthusiastic employees holding up letters that spelled WELCOME. In a larger sense that is exactly what Poland is trying to say to the world.
As I arrived, the Poles had just concluded their fifth election since throwing off the Soviet yoke in 1989. In fact the spiritual heirs to Lech Walesa, hero of the Gdansk strike and first president, were the winning parties. This constituted a move back to the center right for the electorate, a rejection of the former Communists who had been in power for a decade. The turnout was an all time low--barely over 40% of the voters cast ballots--a reflection of disgust with government, embroiled in controversy over corruption, unable to address key issues such as infrastructure.
We had prepared a survey of 61 business journalists from seven countries on their attitudes towards Poland. We found that Poland was identified with traditional industries such as agriculture and manufacturing, with no recognition of excellence in knowledge industries such as technology. Poland ranked third behind China and India as a country with bright prospects, though most reporters had little knowledge of the country's economic policies or important companies. You must understand the Polish mentality to appreciate the true challenge of competing for foreign investment against such powerhouses as China, India and lesser lights such as Mexico and Russia. One of the Polish journalists I met suggested that she had been taught to sit in the corner doing her work well until recognized by the teacher.
Poles recognize the benefit of having global visionaries such as the late Pope John Paul or Lech Walesa. A Polish businesswoman gave me a very meaningful recasting of the old Polish joke of how many Poles does it take to change a light bulb--one to hold the bulb and four to turn the table. She said, "How many Poles does it take to change the world? One. Lech Walesa." They know they need to have successors for these global leaders, so that Poland has a position at the opinion shaper forums.
There is an overwhelming stamp of the past on the city, which was largely destroyed in 1944 when the Warsaw citizens rose against their occupiers. The Umschlagplatz, or "delivery station" memorial stands at the edge of the now destroyed ghetto to remember the 300,000 Jews who went on to the death camps from this train depot. The huge Stalin era Russian style office building, replete with steeple, is the highest point in central Warsaw. I met with the chief rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, who commutes between New York City and Warsaw. He told me there are approximately 5,000 Jews remaining in the country (there were 3.5 million pre-war), mostly in Warsaw but that he hopes to find more who may have converted to Catholicism in order to save themselves. He conducts daily services in the single remaining temple in Warsaw, with the enthusiastic support of the government. `
The Poles feel that they are part of Europe but want to be seen as having an independent voice on international affairs. There is some resentment about the "Polish plumber" imagery used by French opponents of the EU Constitution during last summer's referendum in France. In fact, a clever Pole put up a billboard of a very handsome Polish plumber who said that he would rather stay at home (except if he could be cast as guest star in Desperate Housewives--the American women would like this fellow!) There is ambivalence about Poland's contribution of troops to the war in Iraq--some concern about possible terrorist retribution, a sense that Poland has gotten little in return from the US Government. But there is pride in having been asked to help and being able to afford to do so, a sense of mission in assisting others to escape tyranny.
In a long dinner discussion with my new colleagues in Poland, I learned that they work long hours, watch little television (no time), are on line mostly at the office (little broadband to home), go to college for three years, often return to their parents' homes until they get married, do intend to be married but to have relatively small families, and expect things to get better in the next few years. They are also incredibly resourceful. One of our account executives working on the Cialis brand for Lilly, found out that a photo was needed for a Sunday feature story. He stripped to the waist, had his fellow AE shoot him bare-chested with a box of Cialis, and emailed the photo to the editor within five minutes. So the legend of Dominic, the spiritual heir to Austin Powers, is born.
I have the sense that Poland has the same determination to succeed that was evident in Ireland in the late 80s. Its educated work force and central location make this a definite star for the future.
Posted by Edelman at September 30, 2005 6:00 PM