Image by R/DV/RS via Flickr
Today I’m mooching power and connectivity from my sister’s house since we still have no electricity following Irene’s visit this past weekend. I’m thankful our parents taught us to share!
As I set myself up here, I turned on a light. After a few days of absent-mindedly flipping switches and having nothing happen, I realized that like many of us I took that immediate glow for granted. Of course, this promoted a thought I’d like to share.
There are a lot of switches we flip in business. We assume the phones will work and that our co-workers are going to be as motivated and diligent as we try to be. We assume that customers will pay their bills and that the checks will clear. We flip that data switch and don’t spend enough time wondering if what we’re getting is accurate.
Once in a while, something like Irene happens – a big storm that disrupts everything. An accountant is caught stealing. A supplier is sending along flawed goods. A spreadsheet has a mistake in a formula that hasn’t been caught for months. We flip the switches and suddenly, things aren’t working. The disruptions can paralyze your operation. Having lived through a number of business storms and non-functioning switches, I can promise you that the aftermath of the storm is multiplied by how much was taken for granted pervious to the incident.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that we all know the storms are out there and that sometimes the lights won’t work. How we anticipate and deal with challenging circumstances can often define us as businesspeople, managers, and humans. There have been a bunch of snarky comments on local websites here about how long it’s taking the power crews to get the lights back on here in town. Instead, maybe those folks ought to ask themselves why they’re unable to adapt.
Living in the dark is no fun, literally or figuratively. But as the old saying goes, we can curse the darkness or….
What’s happening as you’re flipping your switches?
Consult Keith 