five years on from 9-11

Today’s post is slightly different, it was partly prompted by a book I have just finished the “CEO and The Monk” by R B Catell, K Moore with G Rifkin, the last few chapters of the book were centred on the actual day of 9/11 and the impact on there company and employees, Bob and Kenny’s company has a large office on Manhattan Island overlooking ground zero.

The book took me back to what I was doing on that day; I was working in Phoenix, Arizona, for a Telecoms’ start up running the operations. The morning was a typical day, warm and pleasant outside, I had picked up my coffee and I was just sitting down to start checking my e-mail, when I got a call from security to come and look at his TV, on it was the smoking side of the Tower, a little later the whole story unfolded before us and the enormity of the attack started to sink in, little did I know the impact that it would have on me personally and professionally but also for the world as a whole.

I took sometime to myself to gather my emotions and thoughts and then started to meet the teams coming in, some knew the news, some were just getting snap shots from the radio as they had driven in, I updated as best I could , but by 11:00 I was sending them all home, and by 13:00 the company was empty. I had said to one of my manufacturing managers that a large rock had been thrown into the pond now and the ripples would be felt for many years, and five years on we still feel them.

I can make no sense of what happened five years ago, but we must live on and live productive and fulfilled lives, business can change the world, not radically in a step function, but through time, every interaction and deal with someone outside your organization can play a little part. I do not usually plug books but read the afore mentioned book….and I will leave it there..

Quote from Harold Whitman:

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs , ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that, because what the world needs are people who have come alive "

Slainte

Gordon