Hard decisions
© Pete Longworth
How do you make hard decisions?
I had to make one of the hardest decisions I've ever made as a leader on March 17th: Do we keep Student Maid open, or do we temporarily close because of the virus?
I knew that if we closed, we would lose revenue, and it would be financially devastating to the business. At the same time, I knew if we stayed open, we were risking the safety of our team members and clients.
How did I make the decision? First, I asked my team in a company-wide virtual meeting what they thought we should do. Together, we decided to stay open. But not less than 12 hours later, I woke up with a bad feeling in my gut. Something wasn’t sitting well with me.
I started thinking about our decision and why we made it. I knew why our team members wanted Student Maid to remain open: because they needed a paycheck. I also knew why I had wanted Student Maid to stay open: because I wanted to preserve the financial health of the company.
I asked myself, “If money wasn't a part of this equation, what choice would I make?" This is a question I’ve asked myself in the past when navigating tough decisions, like whether to say goodbye to a client who pays us a ton but treats our people poorly (the answer is yes; adios). Removing money from the equation helps me get to the answer that’s most in line with my values. In this situation, it was clear as day: I should temporarily close the business to protect our people and our customers.
Often, it is money that causes us to make poor decisions and act in a way that goes against what we stand for. I knew that I couldn’t let money be a factor in this decision—as hard as that was—no matter how much money it meant I’d lose. I also knew that if I was going to truly protect my people, I had to take away their fear and guarantee them a paycheck even if we were closed.
So, that same day, I called another company-wide meeting and told the team about my decision to temporarily close the business. I also told them that I’d do whatever it took to keep everyone paid while we are closed. I immediately applied for every disaster loan and grant opportunity I could find (we were awarded several last week!).
How did our people respond to the decision? Team members cried in our virtual meeting because it became clear to them just how much they matter to Student Maid. Our clients thanked us for our humane choice. We’ve lost thousands and thousands of dollars and may wind up with some additional debt when all this is over, but not once have I regretted making the decision I did.
We are now faced with another tough choice: When do we reopen for cleaning services? It’s been almost a month since we closed. Again, I will not let money be the driver in this decision. We will take as long as we need to ensure that we are reopening in a way that protects our people and customers and keeps everyone safe. We have been examining our safety procedures, getting certifications, and building new training programs. We will reopen when we can look in the mirror and with confidence say that we’ve done everything possible to take care of those who put our trust in us, no matter how much it costs us to stay closed until then.
The next time you are struggling with a hard decision, take money off the table and ask yourself what choice you’d make. My guess is the answer will become crystal clear. The call of leadership is to know the right choice will cost you a lot and have the courage to make it anyway.
Big hugs,
