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Recession - The Human Factor

Sunday, April 05, 2009

I have been on this earth a fairly long time, so, according to historical facts, I have been through a number of recessions. Why then is this the first one I feel like I am experiencing? After careful consideration to the possibilities, I have come down to three primary reasons:
1. The media is relentless in finding new ways to tell us that we are hurting. Technology gives us the opportunity to hear the bad news 24/7.
2. My job allows me to be up close and personal with what’s happening with people and companies. Many people are living in kind of “quiet desperation”. And, it’s impacting those I live with - the white collar community. Jobs are being lost, and/or not found, by the highly educated. One example is a person that told me that their son graduated in the top 10 in his law class and had a great job lined up with a prestigious law firm and the “plug was pulled”. I recently received an email from a member who told me, “I have been out of work for a long time and I am about to lose my home. I have an MBA and am a Six Sigma Black Belt....can you help me find a job....”?
3. No matter what the analyst tell us, this has to be the worst recession since the “great depression”. What’s going on with the banks, the auto industry, and the housing industry? I have contact with a number of young startup companies that simply have had to put their idea/business on hold and go find a paying job.

The Human Factor comes in when one thinks about it from the context that there are people hurting, but there are also people helping. The human spirit is alive and well. Every day I run across people and organizations that are doing something to help someone else. Just go to Starbucks any time of day or night and see the human spirit at its best. Even if the helper does not have a job for the one in need, sometimes a cup of coffee and a few kind words of encouragement is all that’s needed.

Anyway, this recession will pass. Maybe one measure, as we do go through it, is if we are all doing our best to do more than save ourselves. In this Easter season it’s a good time to get in the game of life…
Tino