Postcard from Florida: The Forgotten Coast

We are spending our 12th February on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. The story goes that it got this moniker because it was once left off a map of Florida. It’s an area of breathtaking beauty and little development. Franklin County has one fully functioning traffic signal, a couple blocks up from the Apalachicola Piggly Wiggly grocery story. You gotta love it!
 
When Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 5 storm in 2018, the destruction was devastating. Fortunately, the human toll was minor, because, well, not a lot of people live here. But the clapboard beach shacks of Mexico Beach were flattened, and they have been replaced by concrete fortresses built to withstand climate change’s fury. Not quite the same vibe as pre-Michael!
 
Benign neglect might be a magnet for the few people like me who value solitude, wildlife and a dazzling view of the Milky Way.  Most people prefer the company of others and the services that support comes with it. Benign neglect is not a good strategy for social inventions like communities and companies. Maintenance, improvement and investment are needed. And for employees, neglect doesn't feel too benign.
 
Which gets me to the point of this brief reflection. Forgetting about developing your people until a crisis hits is not a great way to run a business. Not everybody wants to live on a forgotten coast. A critical aspect of employee satisfaction is a sense of opportunity, that they can grow along with the business. They seek feedback. They want a plan. And they hope that it doesn’t take a Category 5 emergency for you to make an investment in them.