The 2020 Pandemic has been a very interesting experiment. I don’t mean in how they adapt or deal with adversity. Although there is certainly ample grounds for looking at such things.
What this trying time has really shown me, is something I always knew. It is at it’s core, a lesson I have learned through the years in business and one of the things I have always tried to teach other business people through the years.
People are dumb, and need rules.
There it is. I know people don’t like to hear that. It’s not something that makes you feel exactly good about things. But there is a reason we have speed limits, and not speed suggestions. Because people are just going to do stupid things, unless there is a clear punishment for their actions.
You think being scared of dying would be enough. It is not. Most people don’t consider their own morality as much as you would think. Why do you think we have laws about seat belts? Everyone knows there is a distinct advantage to wearing a seat belt, and yet, not everybody wears it all the time. When I was a young lad. I remember many people didn’t wear their seat belts. Following social distancing and things like that is very similar.
So everybody can act shocked that a bunch of people get crazy and put their lives at risk, so seemingly no reason. Such as this incident in Toronto.
But I am not shocked. Because they (as in the government) did not make rules, and did not enforce the rules. Which is basically their entire job. Did they really think people that you have to tell to pay their taxes, not steal and kill each other would be reasonable when it came to suggestions?
How does this connect to business? After all isn’t this whole thing about business and things like that? Well you are correct of course. It is exactly the same for your business.
If you don’t make rules for your business, don’t expect your employees, and customers to follow them.
You simply cannot expect people to do the right thing, even if it is in their best interest.
For instance, if it is important for people in your business to come to work on time. Then you need to make rules to make sure they do. You must write down these rules, you must enforce these rules, and you must keep them up. Even when it becomes “Hard” or “Uncomfortable.”
If you have decided, that this a priority of your business. Then make it one!
We had a rule at my one business, any horse play in the shop means you are instantly sent home, if such foolishness put somebodies life at risk. I fired them on the spot. I only had to do it once, and we needed the employee that day. But that didn’t matter. I still fired them, because I had decided my employees safety was a priority to the business and was more important then anything else.
Nobody else in the business did horse play or put other people at risk after that. The employee, a young foolish type of guy learned a very valuable lesson. That safety rules must be respected at a business. 100% of the time. I like to think he went on, to work at other places and actually followed the rules, as he learned what happened when you didn.t
The rules weren’t there specifically for him. They were there to keep everybody safe. But employees bring the lessons they learn from one business to another.
Well friends, not the most cheerful of messages today. But lets consider it a learning experience shall we?
Rich E. Cunningham