The Usual Place

My usual coffee haunt is within walking distance of my house. Today, I felt like branching out and went to a Starbucks in the next town over. Downstairs, like my usual place, is full of mothers meeting up with their babies. Upstairs, I was surprised to find five or six people hunched over laptops, quietly working. My usual place rarely has the library like atmosphere there is up here.

It made me think about the times I've worked in big organizations, beavering away at my usual tasks, and never looking up. Elsewhere, decisions are being made about new and old products, about keeping and dismissing staff, about emerging and dying markets. Those decisions are often telegraphed: changes in the amount of information, in expenses policies, in new managers and managers not replaced.

The problem is that we're at our usual place, doing our usual thing and not looking for the signs. That's why it's important to read the intranet and the company newspaper, to read the trade and business press, to have colleagues and associates in other buildings and other divisions. Without them, we assume that everywhere is like where we are. And, as this Starbucks proves, not everywhere is like your usual place.