No matter what side of the political aisle we’re on, there’s one thing on which we can all agree — these are rapidly-changing times. As we gaze into our increasingly cloudy crystal balls, doubt and uncertainty appear to be the order of the day. Which leaves us two choices: sit back and wait to see what happens or take action.
Here’s a real world example from one of our clients in the field of industrial health and safety. A few weeks before the start of the new administration, we sent out correspondence to our client’s constituents about a new rule issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) involving exposure to a toxic substance frequently found on job sites. Three weeks later, that rule and a number of others were suspended for a minimum of 60 days while undergoing a review process. So, we distributed a follow-up communique informing them of the delay.
And that might have been that. Everything on hold until further notice. But that would mean we’re not doing our jobs. Instead, we put our heads together and decided this would be an ideal time to remind contractors that OSHA compliance is just the beginning, not the end. In other words, there are better reasons to provide a safe and healthy work environment than the fear of surprise inspections and hefty fines, such as increased productivity, higher morale and a positive impact on the bottom line. Oh, and it’s the right thing to do.
If you find yourself getting stonewalled by fast-moving events seemingly out of your control, get together with your team and figure out how to turn it into a genuine opportunity. As we like to say here at Imagine, “There’s always a solution.”
Not only does Brian Rouff, partner at Imagine Communications, solves clients’ problems on a daily basis, he often helps the Imagine team solve their largest problem: where to go to lunch.