The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield
As someone who works for the leading beer company in the country that has grown to become one of the largest food and beverage corporations in Southeast Asia, reading “The Search for God and Guinness” by Stephen Mansfield is absolutely one enriching experience.
It would be impossible not to draw some similar and contrasting points. Perhaps the similarities are a few of the reasons behind my company’s growth over the years but there sure are a lot of other things to glean from the Guinness brand – 250 years now since Arthur Guinness bought a property at St. James’ Gate in Dublin.
What really impressed me while reading the book though was how the company genuinely cared for their own employees. Sure, they were passionate in selling beer but they were equally concerned of their workforce as well. Their people enjoyed salaries and benefits that would shame most modern companies today. All these, in a time when labour laws still are non-existent – something that would attest to their sincerity. Today, we have companies who are barely hanging by the tread of compliance. Still, others never get to comply at all.
As I continued to read, it turns out that there are many more inspirational stories about the Guinnesses after Arthur on how they impacted their own workers but Ireland, their country, as a whole. Reading about them can’t help but make me teary-eyed. Matter of fact, as early as the introduction, I was already pushing back the tears.
My secret desire now is to get this book on the hands of “the powers that be” in my company. I don’t know how, but I’m praying that somehow, it will. As we set our eyes internationally, I’m sure there would be a lot to learn from Guinness’s 250-year legacy.
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