Though Groundhog Day has come and gone, this yearly celebration offers a lot of insight into human nature. The parallels are interesting.
Wiarton Willie and other groundhog relatives such as Sam and Phil, run a risky business. One in which they can never make everyone happy, can never satisfy all of the customers. They are rudely awoken, mid-nap, early in the morning at the beginning of February and dragged out of their warm beds. They are then surrounded by large groups of strangers and media who are expecting them to make a quick decision on the type of weather we will receive within the next six weeks.
I often wonder how they feel and if it ever crosses their minds how this came to be their responsibility? How would you feel if you had the same type of job? One in which you were given little notice of the work you would have to perform, the decision you would have to make, but were still expected to do it quickly, with little or no option for mistake as there would always be someone who wasn’t happy with it.
There are many positions in the working world that are like this and many new business owners that feel this way every day on start up. Each morning brings something completely new and quite often unexpected, usually after very little sleep.
This newly awoken business person has to make snap judgements that will affect not only their lives but the lives of their families and possible business partners. Much as they would like to keep their clients happy all of the time, the best outcome is one in which they can keep most of them happy most of the time.
Showing up is one of the main requirements of a good business owner and Willie has always taken this to heart. Whether or not you were cheering over his weather forecast or grumpy, like the most eager entrepreneur, he was consistently on time. Like the best social media guru, he offered information, entertainment and conversation. Three things to keep in mind when posting your next Facebook update.
In my opinion, just as the smartest business owners do, Willie and friends gave us a great deal. They managed to understand our needs and at the same time made fans of us all. They didn’t mind taking the blame when they were wrong and not a one of them was greedy.
And for those who may also have wondered why Wiarton Willie and his family already have white fur…it could be the stress of the job…
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