It’s not news to say that it’s easy to find bad news. It comes through our phones, across our desks, into our eyes and ears whether we’re seeking it or not.
There are 25 miles of shipping trains stuck in Chicago. The Port of Los Angeles has four times as many shipping containers on its docks than at any time in its history. I read a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that in the past five years, the turnover rate in warehousing has jumped from 40% to 60%. And, to add the cherry on top, the report says there are no signs of that turnover rate abating in the future. This is bad news.
Where’s the good news?
It just needs to be found. I found a bit of it, right in our facility.
We had a small emergency this month at ACS. It was nothing big, but it did temporarily shrink our workforce and threaten our goal to provide top-notch service to our clients. We were faced with an extremely large order to fill. We could have postponed — something our customer would have understood — but the crew did what they have always done: They showed up. On a Saturday, no less. We were down 11 crew members, but the ones who were able came and completed the job. Sure, they’ll get paid for their work, but that’s not the point.
The point is that this reminded me of something we’ve always known at Adams Cold Storage: Our workers are our advantage. They’re the ones who create and maintain a family atmosphere. It’s an atmosphere where people pitch in when needed and take care of each other when the time warrants.
That’s good news.
I mention this not because it’s out of the ordinary — although considering the circumstances of the past 20 months it seems that way — but because it underscores a stability and consistency that lies underneath this current shifting surface of our times. It’s the shifting surface that clouds our view of the good that lies beneath; and what lies beneath is what will remain.
Not only do I believe that, I WANT to believe that. This month, I’m going to challenge myself to focus on the things that lie just beneath this crazy surface we’re wading through. I think I’ll find something good there. And if I do, I’d be happy to share it.