August 19, 2010
It was my great fortune to
spend last weekend in Destin,
FL with the Tallahassee Chamber
of Commerce during their annual meeting. It was remarkable on several fronts.
Let me set the context.
Destin is in the Florida Panhandle,
otherwise known as the docking point for oil and tar balls from the oil
disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the
year I live further south in the Tampa
area and I was there over the months as the nature of the spill became known
and continued to extend. Tampa
was really at no serious immediate risk of getting hit with oil or tar, none
the less, people cancelled their summer plans “just in case.”
They didn’t want to risk
losing their vacations, wasting their money, being disappointed. I get that. I even respect it. In this
economy, how do you ask people to take that risk when every penny counts and
the relief of vacation is so important.
So now imagine you are the
Tallahassee Chamber or one of its members. It’s May. You know Destin is in the
heart of the likely hit zone for oil and tar. There is no end in sight. What
would you do?
Here is what they did.
They went!
Think about it, the courage,
the message they sent TO A COMMUNITY OTHER THAN THEIR OWN! Not only was the
Tallahassee Chamber risking a lot of money, they were risking the potential of
a demoralizing event. They did it when nearly everyone else went the other way.
It took more than the
courageous leadership of the Chamber here. Each of the nearly 400 members who
chose to attend paid their own way. Each had the opportunity to go the other
way as well, to cancel, to stay home. At a time when dollars are tight and
small business is really struggling, they came. As a group they declared by their actions how
important it is for us to move forward with courage. They showed their priority
for gathering to support their community and the community of Destin at the
same time.
They had fun.
Good for them. We will not
endure the hardships without the balance – or the risks.
They inspired each other
merely by being there. Had there been no sessions, no speeches or videos, no
breakout groups, no discussions, they still would have left having been
inspired by their own risk and investment.
I am reminded that the
companies who came out of the Great Depression best were those who had the
courage to think, build and act for a better future rather than focusing on how
to minimize their losses.
In a similar way, The
Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and their members have established something of
a benchmark of hope for me in these uncertain times.