What Now?

By Mike Felts, VP of HR and IT

To say that the last couple years have been filled with some serious challenges is becoming a cliché. These are “unprecedented times,” after all. We’ve all been through a lot and have had to face a number of obstacles we never saw coming, and even as we close out 2021, we’re not out of the woods yet! So, as we look towards another year of uncertainty, the question becomes, “What do we do now?”

In times of uncertainty, the best thing we can do is focus on what we do know. And we know that we’ve always come out of challenging situations even stronger by relying on our core values. These values – respecting our people, valuing our customers, taking ownership, and giving back to our communities – are timeless. We’ve gone through a lot as an organization in the last 50 years, yet we have always found that by sticking to our values, we find the direction we need. As I reflect on these principles and how they can guide us moving forward, here are a few thoughts:

• We watch out for each other. Be the help someone else needs. Know what your people are struggling with. Be the solution if you can, and if you can’t, just being there for support can make all the difference.
• We remember our commitment to our customers and communities. On a day-to-day basis, what we do may not seem like it makes a big difference in the grand scheme of things. But what we do has a much larger impact than we often realize. We are in the business of empowering people and supporting communities, and we shouldn’t underestimate that.
• We keep going. We are problem solvers. Yes, we can blame almost any shortcoming on outside factors, but so can everyone else. We take responsibility, and we find a way to overcome. We differentiate ourselves from the competition by being the solution, not making excuses.

So in answer to the question, “What do we do now?” We remember who we are and what we have overcome. We embrace the challenges. We work hard. And we take care of each other. That’s how we move forward as a stronger and more resilient team.