Building Together

The great challenge before us, however, is to not let fear and worry paralyze us into inaction.

It’s not healthy. And, it denies the part of us that yearns to be driven by purpose, not fear. And, inaction is not what our clients need from us right now.

We are very fortunate to be in an industry mostly unaffected by the immediate aftermath of the current crisis. Many people in other industries, however, are facing unemployment that seemed impossible to fathom 10 days ago. Millions of people are worried about bills, rent, health care, and their family’s future. When there are people in society that face need, the rest of society is called upon to provide. I know this team and we’re all doing what we can to help in our local communities. Collectively, however, we also have the opportunity to help our clients be as productive as possible while navigating through these uncertain times and entirely new ways (to them) of working together. Our action will help good organizations thrive so they can continue to employ people, grow the economy, and do good work in the world.

Doug, Carrie, Emily, Candice, and I met yesterday and agreed on this simple commitment: this is the time for us to show up for our clients. In the same way we’d each show up to help a neighbor in need, now is the time to show up and help our clients. This isn’t about business development. This is about doing the right thing and using our collective expertise and experience to make a difference for others.

We’re calling it our Building Together commitment and we’re asking you to be part of it. Building Together means building up one another to be a stronger team while also building up our clients to help them navigate the future. What does this look like? Starting today, we’ll share a daily-ish message of encouragement with suggestions for reaching out to one another and to our clients, suppliers, and other partners in ways that cultivate hope, purpose, and determination. Our request is simple: take time to read the message and consider what small action you can take that day to build others.

We all see the bravery and commitment of nurses and doctors on the front line of fighting the virus pandemic. It’s inspiring. I am so grateful for their service and I pray for their safety. I hope that, in our own small and humble way, we can help be on the front lines of helping great organizations survive and thrive through this economic crisis.

Message #1 – When Palm Trees are Tested by Hurricanes (Durability)

Our symbol for the value of Durability has always been a palm tree because despite the ferocity of the hurricane, the palm trees almost always survive. That’s not a coincidence. It’s by design. Many other trees are more effective at establishing a canopy to shade out competitors and are more efficient at developing root systems that tap deep into water and nutrient sources. But, when storms come those very features – a few deep roots and large canopy make them vulnerable. A palm tree has a vast, fibrous root system that anchors it to more soil and its leaves are on fronds, not branches, that can fold up and provide much less resistance in the blowing wind and rain.

We value durability, and the example of the palm tree, in the solutions we suggest because we pride ourselves on not creating large, expensive solutions that only work in optimal conditions. We want our solutions to be able to weather some “storms” and be useful for a long time.