This Too Shall Pass

My Grandma has always been one of my favorite people. There was never a better place in the whole wide world than her house. So whenever something bad would happen or I'd be sad about something I'd head over to Grandma's house for some cheering up and she'd always say "Johnny, honey, this too shall pass..." in a calm, sweet, grandma voice. It always relaxed me and, inevitably, she'd always be right. Every time something went wrong - eventually it passed and all was right with the world again. I have been reading and watching a lot of news lately and I'm not sure I've seen a darker time in my years on this earth. Businesses are still shutting down, departments being cut, people losing their jobs. A lot of companies are falling into the trap that, because of the economic downturn, they feel they can get away with cutting crucial employee benefits and training programs. There is a lot of "Look - we can make these cuts because where else are the employees going to go..." being tossed around many a board room these days. However - there are a few companies out there that are taking this time to really invest in their employees, giving them better than ever training, and make sure they are keeping the guests as happy as possible. They understand that people have less discretionary income these days and therefore are being much more careful about where they choose to spend it. They want to go someplace where they are treated better than just good - they want to feel great. These smart employers understand that the better they treat their employees, even during tough times, the better the employees are going to treat the customers. One other thing to think about is that your employees have long memories and this recession won't last forever. The companies that will keep their employees when times are good, are the ones that treated them right when times were bad. So if you are wondering what you should do during this economic crisis today and how you should go about handling your business in your company, just remember, this too shall pass. And the ones who treated their guest and employees right when it was bad - well, they'll surely treat those companies right when it does "pass" like Grandma used to say. Now SHE knew how to treat her customer (me)! Thanks for reading this blog today.