Musings from the CU Suite

Written by Anthony Demangone
The National Associations of Federal Credit Unions

On Monday, I was in the lovely state of Alabama. Meanwhile, 742 miles away, a nasty storm was dumping snow and ice on Washington, D.C.

Around 2:30 p.m., my phone buzzed. 

My flight had been cancelled. 

I wasn't alone. There were thousands of others who received similar messages. If you had planned to fly to Washington, or New York, chances are you were grounded.

Over the next 24 hours, I interacted with a lot of people who were just trying to get home. They came in two groups.

First, there were the angry. The frustrated. Believe me, I understood how they felt. It isn't fun being stuck away from home.

The second group? They seemed more at peace. They were working, or on the phone. But they seemed in control. After all, what would yelling at an airline employee accomplish? 

How much time do we focus on things outside of our control? A Venn diagram would show that our world is likely divided into a number of categories.

• Things that affect me, that I can control.
• Things that affect my team or organization, that I can control.
• Things that are outside of my control, but that I can influence.
• Things that I cannot influence or control.
• Things that simply don't matter.

Stuck in Alabama? Get on the horn, get a new flight. Let folks know about the change. Book a hotel. And then get on with your day.

You can yell at the Gods, or work the problem. 

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If you have a staff training day, and would like me to kick it off, shoot me a note. I'd be happy to help.