The Great American Solar Eclipse has come … and gone. Billions of dollars and time spent for an event that was not man made nor in man’s control in any way.
Challenger, Gray and Christmas, the firm known for analyzing lost productivity and cost surrounding March Madness, estimated the solar eclipse may have cost American businesses $694 million in lost productivity.
But what did American business gain? Probably far more than was lost.
The businesses in the towns and cities in the path of totality of the solar eclipse gained billions of dollars collectively from the visitors descending upon their rarely visited locations.
Manufacturers of the much-needed glasses, telescopes, special cameras, and camping equipment realized a jump in sales – and profits.
But most importantly, we, as a people, gained a collective reason to look to the heavens. And for one moment everyone agreed there is an awesome universe, and power beyond our control ‘out there’.
The event brought stoic newscasters to tears. And created a camaraderie among strangers that is rarely shown on our television, computer, and smartphonescreens.
Bringing the Solar Eclipse Lessons Back to the Workplace
So how do we take what a simple 2 minutes and 40 seconds of totality taught us and bring it back in to our workspace? We can
- Share experiences with others who may look though different lenses.
- Understand the lens we look through can change how we see, but the object (ive) is still the same.
- Darkness doesn’t last forever – and we’ll get through it together.
Do Your Job
On these pages, we often talk about motivating others, assessing people and processes, and listening to our customers.
There are times, however, when it is right to just stop, acknowledge when there is darkness, rejoice when there is light, and absorb and take in the experiences your customers, your employees, and your organization are sharing together.
They won’t always be perfect. Each customer may have a different experience. Each employee may have a different way to handle a situation. And that’s okay.
Collectively, however, your company contributes positively to the world. And your customers benefit from what you do.
And those dark times? They won’t last forever. Just wait for them to pass.
Be like the sun during those times. Keep doing your job. Stay steady. Be patient, Wait … and then … light up the world.
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