When we talk about the restaurant, retail, and hospitality, there are corporations, then there are small business owners, and then there are workers. And right now, they all have individual challenges due to COVID-19 and civil unrest in many cities.
The hospitality industry service workers have taken a hit in our economy. Some workers and organizations will bounce back. And, Jim Knight knows a thing or two about the restaurant industry and its ability to persevere.
When it comes to resiliency, many states are beginning to open up and restaurants, retail, and hotels. Even during the worst of it all, during the lockdown, many will still be able to get takeout from their local eateries.
I come from a working-class background. People in my family didn’t go to college. We worked in restaurants. We were cops. We were firemen.
Sometimes we don’t value the essential workers in our society enough. We don’t give them the recognition they deserve for being resilient in hard times.
So as you go about your day, remember to thank the essential workers in your community. And if you are able, help some of the workers who cannot go back to work because the restaurant or establishment they worked for closed indefinitely in the face of COVID-19.
There are many lessons to be learned – for each of us – from this time. A lesson in resilience from an industry that has suffered the hardest is the right place to start.
I’m talking about these topics— why the employee experience is undervalued—in my weekly newsletter. I’m also sharing a video to help you think about your week ahead. You can sign up here.