September 25, 2001 Reflections on Sept. 11

No matter how we slice it, September 11 was a horrible day.

I was a thousand miles away from the attacks that sunny morning, yet like many, I still felt personally assaulted. I can only imagine how those who had family or friends aboard the ill-fated aircraft or in the devastated work locations, must have felt.

As that fateful day unfolded, something rather unexpected happened. Many, if not all of the problems that I had awakened with, simply vanished. The things about which I had been worrying just did not seem quite as important any more. My interest, energy and genuine concern suddenly became focused on "the lives of other people," people whom I did not know and had never met. Caring about complete strangers had taken on a new level of importance for me.

Thinking back on this, I have been reminded of a couple of important lessons. First, perhaps we all should periodically reassess the importance of what we consider problems, and deal with them more accordingly. And second, we should remember that our immense feelings of grief for the people who lost or sacrificed their lives, and their families, highlight one of the most valuable attributes of being human. We have a deep capacity to care about others, even those we do not know. Wouldn't it be nice if we could more frequently tap in and demonstrate this cornerstone of our humanness, especially in times outside of great catastrophe.

I am sure many of you have also drawn these same or very similar conclusions. However, if you are up for a little courageous introspection, let me invite you to go a step further. Take a moment and reflect on how these life lessons play out in your workplace. Ponder the following questions, answer them truthfully and examine closely what your responses tell you. Then decide what changes might be in order for you.

1) How much do you really care about the people who work for you day in and day out? How well do you even know them? Are you invested in their success? Do you want them to grow - perhaps even surpass your capabilities? Do you genuinely feel a commitment to them, or do you only allow yourself to care when something bad happens to them or their families?

Caring about people with whom you work is hard work. It requires you to give of yourself, and be willing to be vulnerable. For most of us, it's much easier and safer to care about people when they are hurting. The real challenge is to truly care about them when they are not.

2) What do you consider to be the big problems at work? Are you clear about the crucial issues that have significant consequences, vs. those that just get your dander up? I know managers who have brutally humiliated their people for missing a deadline on a last minute request for a report that may never get read, or for flubbing an answer during a big presentation to an executive. Based on their responses, one would think these were problems that would likely have resulted in the end of the world, or at least the downfall of the business. Chances are very good that they would not.

Have you ever done this - or something like it?

Work is loaded with problems of all sizes that do need attention. Be sure that the things you consider big problems, especially those involving another's performance shortcomings, are based on the magnitude of the issue, not the size of your ego!

Let me offer one last item for you to think about, related to the people with whom you work. Perhaps many of you have picked up on all the questions suddenly being raised about how the "pampered and protected" younger generation will respond to their first real crisis. I suppose we should be worried. But when I think of the number of twenty- and thirty-something firefighters and police who knowing and unselfishly gave their lives trying to rescue innocent people, and those of the same age in the military who are already on the move to defend and honor our country -- I am very optimistic about the answer. But, let's bring it closer to home.

3) Do you have faith that the younger people in your organization will rise up when faced with adversity? Do you believe they have the capability and the will? Have you assumed that because of their "generation" they do not, and never will have the same level of commitment about the organization that you have? Are you trying to force your world on them, or allowing them to bring forth their ideas and viewpoints of a different, perhaps better future?

September 11 was indeed a horrible day that by all accounts, will result in some dramatic changes in the way we live our lives and view the future. Whatever its impact has had on you, I encourage you to continue thinking about what you can learn from it and how you can be better because of it. Hopefully we can use the rekindled passion and renewed spirit of unity, resulting from this unforgettable event, to make both our personal and work lives more meaningful and fulfilling.