Musings of a Pandemic-Weary Business Owner
This year has really been one for the history books. Pandemic. Lock downs. Everything gone virtual. Election chaos. Lots and lots of uncertainty. This week, I spent some time reflecting on how differently people have approached this year and tried to find meaning somewhere in the midst of the chaos.
Earlier this fall, I was invited to attend an Amish wedding. The wedding went on according to their customs and traditions. No adaptations were made due to the ongoing pandemic (or at least that I could notice). This beautiful expression of commitment, love, and community felt totally “normal.” But why was the Amish church handling things so differently than most “mainline” churches?
This past week, I was able to visit with a few of our customers, and it struck me just how differently businesses are reacting to COVID-19. Admittedly, in some places, the world felt perfectly normal. We were greeted by maskless employees, who warmly offered a handshake. Others were responding with a much higher level of caution – requiring masks and offering hand sanitizer at the door. It left me wondering… How is it that business leaders and teams choose such different paths during this pandemic?
Through conversations with friends and family, I realize there are extremely different views about how to handle the holidays. Some feel strongly that traditions should be kept. Others feel that protecting the health of loved ones is the most important thing. It’s clear that most people do love grandma, but they come to different conclusions about what loving grandma looks like in the midst of a pandemic.
As I reflected, I realized it really boiled down to one key issue: Values.
For the Amish, one of their most sacred values is community. Social distancing defies their value of a close-knit community. They value the traditions of their faith, and “new normal” is not a concept they are willing to embrace. Togetherness and community are more important than safety.
What about the response of the business world? For some of them, it seemed that they simply had a higher risk tolerance or perhaps placed a higher value on personal choice. For others, they placed a higher value on safety and mitigating risks. In conversations, I know some feel strongly about following government guidelines. Others feel strongly that the government’s actions are unconstitutional. All of them value their employees, though they show it in different ways.
As part of a family system, some valued physical togetherness as the ultimate way of showing love, while others valued physical protection and sacrifice as the ultimate symbol of love. Neither person is really wrong, when you consider that the decision to be together or stay apart is really rooted in how their values guide them to live in these uncertain times. Personally, I was a caretaker for a very medically frail grandmother for several years. My kids saw her almost daily, and I dealt with a very real fear that if one of my children passed on a cold or stomach bug or virus to her, it could possibly mean the end of her life. My mom helped me deal with the anxiety by pointing out that one of the few points of joy in my grandmother’s life was seeing her great-grandchildren every day, and it was selfish of me to keep them away for her safety. My grandma wanted to see them, and she had a right to choose to take that risk. And keeping them away was more about my mental comfort than showing love to my grandma. Honoring my grandma meant respecting her values.
As we continue into uncertain times, taking some time to understand the values that guide our hearts and minds can bring clarity. And in understanding what grounds us, perhaps we can better respect the perspectives of others.
In our personal professional lives, what are the values that guide us? What are the core values of our companies? What are our personal values?
How can those values inform our actions as we lead teams, engage in community, and interact with our families?
How can we show grace and respect those whose values take them to totally different conclusions?
As we journey through the holidays and into the New Year, may God grant us the wisdom and courage to lead with compassionate and caring hearts. Wishing you a season of peace, hope, and love!
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2