I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. 

 

Some people from various parts of the country may already be snickering and that’s ok with me.  In a certain way, Cleveland actually deserves some of it.  God knows the city has made its fair share of mistakes to justify these opinions.   A simple Google search will give you all the ammunition you need including unfortunate references to “the mistake on the lake”.

 

I must point out however, that Cleveland is much more than the sum of its historical blunders.  It is a city filled with middle class people that have a very solid work ethic.   For the most part, they are loyal, honest people that believe in the importance of family and getting paid a fair wage for a fair days work.  In all honesty, this can also be said for people in cities throughout most of the Midwest.   In fact, one word may describe them best.  Pragmatic.

 

Beth Terry wrote an article a number of years ago that included her thoughts about the “Midwest Work Ethic”.  I have included a segment of her article below that sums up much of her thoughts:

 

The Working List:

 

• Do the right thing

• Do what you said you would do

• If you need help figurin’ it out, ask somebody

• You can’t have everything, where would you put it?  -  Steven Wright

• Most luck comes from hard work, goals, and stickin’ to it

• The best thing you can do when it all goes to hell is keep on moving forward

• No one said the world is fair, only that it’s round

• If you screw up, just admit it, fix it, and get the hell outta the way

• If you’re getting paid for a 40-hour job, they expect you to actually work 40 hours

• If you don’t own the business, somebody out there who does may have mortgaged their home, their kids, and their future to make it happen. Respect that and give them your best

• Life really is good; we really do have it great in the US; most people really are decent human beings; and you do create your own success

• Gratitude, Forgiveness, Grace, Detachment, and Love pretty much trump everything else. Looking for ROI? You’ll find it there.

 

Although not by design, I came to the realization that many of the items on her list actually play a significant part in my book.  A lot of the things that I espouse and in how I help lead a team come from this “Midwestern Work Ethic”.  It is also intertwined with the values instilled in me by my parents, especially my father.