#1288 - destruction and creation
I had a fascinating conversation with a manager of a manufacturing company. He told me the company suffered a significant blow during the pandemic but has bounced back quickly since. This welcomed but unexpected growth took them by surprise. As a result, they struggle to find, train and integrate new personnel to keep up with the demand for their products.
When we expanded our perspective to other companies and industries, we realized that to cancel or destroy value is way easier and faster than to create it.
Many organizations had to deal with massive drops in their core numbers during the pandemic. So they decided to let go of their people to minimize the impact and save the boat. Once things got better, however, they discovered that while you can let go of hundreds or thousands of people in a wink, hiring and creating a cohesive and productive workforce is much more effort.
The same happens when a company externalizes parts of its work and knowledge. Until it is entirely gone. And once that knowledge is gone, it may take forever to rebuild it.
Or a house. It can be destroyed in a jiffy, yet it takes many months and resources to build one.
Same thing for intangible stuff, like trust. It takes a lifetime to create trust between people and an instant to shatter it.
So what?
I don't know.
Maybe, I just needed to remind myself to be aware that what I get rid of may never return. Even if I know that "every act of creation begins with an act of destruction," as Pablo Picasso famously said.