You’ve probably seen the email going around about Charlie Plumb, the motivational speaker who ejected from his damaged jet over Vietnam. The story is worth the read. The message Charlie took from his experience was being thankful for those who pack our parachute.
Working in the back office, we definitely have the opportunity to view the story from both sides. We have people packing our ‘chutes on a daily basis. In our personal lives, our family motivates and inspires us. In business, I am often grateful to that shipping company who answers the phone well after normal business hours, when we absolutely need to get that Secondary Injection Test Set to the east coast overnight.
Keep in mind that you pack parachutes as well. Sometimes it is as simple as saying “Good morning,” on a really bad day. Other times, you go the extra mile to make sure your technician has that Megger DLRO™ that he likes best ready and waiting at the job site.
Don’t sell yourself short, and don’t pass up an opportunity to pack a parachute for someone. If things go well, they may never need to use the parachute. But when things go wrong, you might just save their day.