As the question is directed as, What the program means to me, my thoughts ventured on the lines of what is mutual between “me, as an individual” versus “local guides program”. I admit I could relate my values & my core in many ways with that of the local guides program.
Community Service:
Giving back to What does the local guides program mean to me? ecosystem where we thrive & benefit, sweetly to express, the art of gratitude is one of my core values. I go back to my schools & institutions I graduated from, to help it’s current student fraternity and conduct sessions on employability. On similar lines, Local Guides program is doing it’s best to give to the community in many ways, without charging them any fee. This trait of gratitude or community service is one key reason as to what this program means to me, a reason that helps me connect better with this program.
Team Spirit:
Local Guides program inculcates the habit of meet-ups, where groups of like minded individuals come together and work towards achieving a common goal. It helps in enhancing my people handling skills, to delegate responsibilities and ensure that we achieve the end goal.
Exchange of Ideas:
Ideas calibrate innovations and these innovations turn around the world we live in. Local guides program help us review, answer Q and As, Rate places, report an issue, and adding an unknown place or road etc, which eases the knowledge sharing on this platform. If I were to ask my old soul, from what job I would like to retire, I would answer it as “teacher”. Teaching & mentoring is a value I possess and teaching people is something I would love. Local Guides also inculcates this, as it’s core, to educate people and to help people learn at ease, and to know the world better than we already know it is.
Helping Businesses:
I am an avid Lean consultant who likes to help businesses improve their efficiency. Local Guides program too, similarly help us understand business opportunities & gain customer insights. Reading reviews, ratings help businesses understand what amuses it’s market & target audience and what is a disaster. Not only this serves the business owners, it also helps competitors to analyse the market reaction to a new product or a service.
Globalization at it’s best:
Internet tore down the last layers that created boundaries between nations. Google Local guides program helps people from diverse cultures & regions make decisions through its platforms. A Google guides List with details of a holiday getaway, food to try in a city, helps travellers decide better.
Boosting the economy:
Helping people understand, enhancing travel via roads or through knowledge shared via posts, lists & local stories etc, helps people to travel, spend, and boosts the economy and keeps businesses and trade alive.
Destiny, not destination
Just as maps, there are many destinations, but it isn’t the destiny. Google local guides contributes in several more ways to the community, beyond the maps application. Likewise, it helps people like me wear a different hat, and contribute to the society in what ways we can. Although our contributions isn’t our destination to stop, it helps us attain our destiny to contribute to the society we live in.
Love,
Karthik Vengatesan
