from the chair
A Pandemic Purview
Brian Forth
I ’ m writing this column from an empty workspace . Our last day together as a team at the SiteCrafting offices was March 8 , 2020 .
We had just kicked off the Tacoma Defiance season at Cheney Stadium with a special event for clients and friends .
The celebratory tone of the season opener quickly shifted as our employees faced the news of a statewide shutdown and transitioned to full-time work from home status . We knew the office would remain closed , we just didn ’ t realize how long . The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard said , “ Life can only be understood backwards , but it must be lived forwards .” For a column published near the one-year mark of the first Covid-19 case in Washington , I was asked to write about what has changed . To write about what lessons we ’ ve learned from a pandemic . It ’ s not a new lesson , but rather something that the pandemic has reminded me : People matter . In fact , they are all that matter . Our company is made up of people , our customers are people , and people are doing the best they can given the circumstances .
I am gratified by the contributions of the people of SiteCrafting . Not only are they navigating changes in the workplace , they are also navigating changes in their homes against the backdrop of a global pandemic .
A few examples : Jenny , Ross , Chuck and Marth welcomed new babies to their families ; Mike and Mark adopted dogs ; Angie , Crissy and Michelle helped their children with remote learning between meetings and project deadlines ; and Glen ’ s son Soren , 7 , decided he works at SiteCrafting and makes appearances in meetings every chance he gets .
Those are just a few examples of many that underscore the importance of providing support for our people and meeting them where they are — babies in arms , barking dogs in the background and a 7-year-old dancing out of the room .
We haven ’ t just had to adjust at work . We ’ ve had to adjust everywhere . And we will need to keep adjusting still .
We don ’ t have businesses without employees and customers . What I hope will never change is the fact that as employers , we will prioritize our people and remain grateful for their contributions .
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