Executive Insight Tip of the Week - Issue #127 - Reflections from Irene

• Posted on September 1, 2011
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Reflections from Irene

Mother Nature's fury produced many poignant stories from Hurricane Irene. I know some people are tired of Irene being a headliner, however, there are some relevant lessons that I observed from ordinary people who persevered in spite of substantial obstacles.

For example, it really did make a difference to be prepared. One colleague somewhat spontaneously bought a generator the day before Irene hit, and it was able to power his pumps in the aftermath. This one decision prevented the lake that emerged in his front yard from completing flooding his house.

Another lesson relates to trying to stay "normal" in spite of impediments. One colleague got creative about coming to work in Manhattan on Monday in spite of having no power at home and no public transportation. She had a client event scheduled that evening and new opportunities emerged from it. It would have been so easy to have stayed at home and had a colleague take over in her place, but she focused on business as usual at a time that it certainly wasn't usual.

The last example comes from a colleague whose printing company lost power and phone service, but not its spirit. They communicated with their customers through email blasts and cheerfulness, keeping them up to date about their projects' status.

Preparedness, creativity and communication offset potentially flared tempers, impatient customers, and discouraged employees.

There are dozens more stories like these. I hope you join me in being inspired by these people's determination and optimism at a time of great stress.