Be the ONE.
The holiday rush is upon us, and after leaving Walgreens this weekend, I told Eric that I think one of the biggest challenges I see continuously is that the service industry (including retail) is down to the bare bones.
Traffic is at an all-time high during this season, yet staffing is a mess. Leaders are wondering who will show up or call out, and the consumer is angry.
Standing in line at the photo counter was a humble reminder.
Everyone prior to me was frustrated, impatient, and upset. The photo department was clearly overwhelmed, overloaded, and short-staffed. But yet, these two women showed up.
Rather than approaching them with patience, grace, and gratitude, when confronted with delays and adversity, people were losing their minds. The lady in front of me actually huffed, “I hate coming in here,” audibly for the team to hear… YIKES.
When my turn arrived, the employee was visibly huffing right back, sighing, and fragged out (not sure this is an official phrase, but it is today).
She asked for my name and became even more visibly upset when she saw yet another order incomplete.
She stated, “If today keeps going the way it has, I couldn’t tell you when it’ll be ready… maybe tomorrow.”
I wanted to hug her. I wanted to tell her she was doing a great job. But I do know how to read the room, and in this moment, I chose kindness over physical touch and words of affirmation. (“Don’t be a weirdo,” as we say at Impact Eighty-Eight.)
I started to problem-solve with her. I presented options, kindness, and flexibility. As we approached the end of our conversation, we had a plan—and her demeanor had shifted.
She needed someone to work with her, not talk at her.
She needed kindness and grace.
She needed light.
I got in the car, and Eric and Hallie both asked what took so long. I went on a Cassy-rant about how we’re failing the people who actually show up and do the work. At the rate we’re going, we won’t have anyone left because the people who are willing to do the job get completely run over and then kicked when they’re already down.
These two women showed up. These two women weren’t on their phones, chomping gum, or blowing bubbles… they were GRINDING as fast as they could. The problem was the volume was too much. The workload set them up to fail.
This is a season of high stress but I challenge you to be the ONE.
Be the one who shows kindness.
Be the one who exudes grace.
Be the one who practices patience.
And when someone is very clearly going through it—Love ’Em Down™.
Will it work every time? Nope. There’s an entire chapter dedicated to this in Unapologetic.
But it’s not up to us to determine the outcome…it’s up to us to show up the right way anyway.
Unapologetic Truth:
You don’t need authority, a title, or a perfect situation to lead.
You lead by how you treat people especially when they’re overwhelmed, understaffed, and unseen.
Remember:
Kindness is not weakness.
Patience is not passive.
Grace is not optional.
Wishing you the happiest of holidays. I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you!
& be nothing but yourself.
Big hugs & love,
Cassy
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