We all have bad days – what matters is how you respond to them. Most of the normal things that go wrong are usually between aggravating and embarrassing – if that’s the worst of it, it’s relatively easy to pick yourself up and get beyond it. Here’s an example of one of my bad days:
· The day the Mirage employment office opened
· We promoted that event and expected lots to show up
· I bought 20 dozen donuts, thinking that would be enough.
· When I got there at 6am there were 5000 people waiting in line!
· We bought water and snacks and passed them out to all the people.
On my way there that morning I was excited – that quickly turned to shock, dismay, and embarrassment when I saw that line. I’d worked for nearly two years planning for that day and in that instant, it appeared like I was totally unprepared. First thing: we marshalled our forces, talked to everyone in that line, apologized for not being fully prepared for it, got names and addresses from everyone, and scheduled all of them for an interview appointment within the next 30 days. I hired the first two people in line – a mother and daughter; they’d been there all night and the mother went on to be a future Employee of the Year. Later that night, we debriefed, documented the lessons learned. That’s when we discovered the sun shining behind that day’s clouds. And we never make that mistake again. Look for the sunshine in your work today.
Desmond Mpilo Tutu (1931 – 2021): South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist.
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