Loyalty in a Lagging Economy

I don't know about you, but I am tired of reading and hearing all the gloom and doom about the economy and the precarious future of our financial investments. It really is enough to make you double up on your meds and hide under your covers with the curtains closed. Virtually every media outlet is reporting increased amounts of stress in the workplace and interpersonal relationships due to the state of our economy. Even longstanding successful companies with proven business models are feeling the pressure to downsize in order to remain in existence through this storm. Employees are uncertain about their job stability and their productivity suffers as a result. This represents an "about face" from the job market as recent as a year ago. Employees had their pick of employers, because of the low unemployment percentage, and would constantly be on the lookout for better opportunities. Employers had to adapt to higher turnover in fields that were traditionally filled with devoted career oriented employees. As the economic landscape changes around us, business trends are following suit. We are forced to reevaluate what we need to do to survive. I want to share with you a positive aspect of "battening down the hatches" as a family, company and even as a country.
Your average employee (Joe the Plumber, if you will) has to decide where to place their loyalty. Hard times have a way of helping us all identify our priorities in life. How much do we need to get by? Can we accept a decrease in pay in order to keep our jobs? I once worked for a Physician who eloquently described this scenario as "bleed or amputate." We learn to depend on each other a little more in order to get through the hard times as a team... and in some cases, a family. In no other industry does this feel as literal as in the food industry. We spend an incredible amount of time together under extreme amounts of stress and pressure. On early mornings, we drink our first cup of coffee together. This carries on throughout the day, taking meal breaks to prepare food for each other, and sometimes ending the day with a fabulous dessert that will never be appreciated by anyone outside the walls of the Three Chicks Catering building.
We are learning, as many other businesses are, that success sometimes means getting through the rough times intact. There is no trophy at the end of the race, and you usually get a little dirty by the time the trial period is through. When all is said and done, you look around at the people who worked so hard along side you to make it happen, and know that you will always be a part of something bigger than yourself.
I just want to encourage everyone to see this time for what it is. These times are meant for reflection, team building, and strengthening your commitment to succeed. Grab on to those around you because they are your best allies in challenging times. Together, we will get through this and party on the other side!