When I had started writing one of the key advises that I got was to write about something real, something that I believe in or something that I have experienced in my life. My mentor suggested that people like to read about real stories and experiences over anything else. Things they can relate to. I am sharing a recent life altering experience.
Ours is a small family managed manufacturing business. The business has been in existence for over two decades and managed to sustain through lot of ups and downs. The guiding principle of this business is transparency, honesty and loyalty towards the business partners – workers, employees, suppliers, customers or external agencies. While over the years our bankers changed and we added new customers and suppliers as some left us for various reasons; most of our workers continued to work with us, acquired skills and grew. We continued to support the workers with their financial needs at different juncture of their lives to the best of our ability.
But nothing in this world remains constant. Some of these workers started having grievances and felt that they deserved more than they were being given. The workers chose to form a union, something that was never there in our company.
There is always a way.
This single step created a definite wedge in our harmonious relationship. However, we decided to negotiate and work out a mutually acceptable agreement which ensures that the business sustainability is always upheld. Sadly, the negotiations never reached the agreement stage due to intervention of outsiders who neither had financial stake in the business or cared about the plight of the workers if the business did shutdown. Finally, things reached a flashpoint. We decided to stopped all negotiations. The workers tried to test the management’s mettle and took the extreme step of going into a strike. All operations stopped!
The workers expected us to rush to the negotiation table and give in to their demands. We had two options - either take the easy way out and give in to the demands, or hold our ground and suffer through business losses, hardships and end up with a more permanent solution. The former option would compromise the position of the management forever and lead to total anarchy in the company. Discipline or decorum will be lost for good. The latter would be painful and difficult. The outcome of the choice would also be unpredictable. It was decided to go all out and suffer through the strike and see what lies beyond.
Easier said than done. Within the third month, honoring payments, and other operating costs started becoming extremely difficult. There were minuscule production and sales with the help of handful of loyal employees and support staff. Work was less and I had ample time to introspect. Being a workaholic, I started going through phases of anger and feeling of helplessness.
In all honesty, I was purely bitter at the workers and their attitude towards the company which was providing them livelihood. One of the Eastern thoughts inculcated in me is to treat the workplace as sacred as it provides us sustenance. I was positively disturbed and started questioning every single act of the past as the days passed. I spent hours sitting and brooding and endlessly ruminating about the situation without doing anything specific about it. Slowly, I started questioning my God. My reaction to the situation was trying to establish a plain cause and effect relation. I wondered which acts of mine warranted such an extreme outcome. Where will all this end? What all will it take away from me? And of course, the quintessential question – Why me? Why us?
Over the years I have learned that everything ends at some point, things evolve, situations alter and we all set course for a new direction. There are too many forces working in this universe and while some might be trying to pin us down, all variables do not work in tandem and in the same direction. There are always opposing forces at work and that’s what changes the tide. Otherwise how did we evolve into who we are today compared to our ancestors? A friend had a very good piece of advice for me. She said that God will only burden you as much as you can carry. When you are at the precipice and cannot take any more, He will pull you back to safe ground. We will not be abandoned but saved every time if we just keep the faith.
New Beginnings
Four months later there was a small change. The workers initiated a mediation through a mediator on realizing their irrationality. The rules of conduct were laid by us and the message was communicated loud and clear – be fair, just and disciplined. We took a step forward and conveyed that let bygones be bygones and start afresh. We are now slowly inching back to normalcy, regaining lost customers, increasing our sales volumes.
While I learned to be patient, mentally and emotionally strong in the face of a tempest; I also understood the meaning of putting one foot ahead of the next every day. During this period, I started a small side venture too. t benefited me financially and also kept me constructively occupied. It is a wonder how during times of peace, I never thought of doing something new. The lesson was to change the way we operated the company, the way we conducted ourselves and the way we led. In hindsight, the entire ordeal was a blessing in disguise. I have changed from who I was, but I believe I am now an improved and better version. The road ahead is steep and unyielding but we will trudge through.
Through this entire phase, I repeatedly found solace in what Jack Cornfield said. “Inside you are a thousand generations of your ancestors, who learned how to survive difficulties. Do not be afraid. You too will find your way”. Just have faith.