I have recently become more serious about running in an attempt to improve my health and keep the weight off my aging body. In addition to the physical benefits of running, it gives me a little time to think. One recent morning, my run—while not effortless—proceeded without any stumbles despite the fact that many of the sidewalks on which I was running were heaving from generations of tree roots growing underneath them.
As I ran—and did not trip—I started to think about sidewalk grinders. These are the people who come along and shave down the otherwise heaving slab of concrete and make it safer for us to use the sidewalk. It is probably a thankless and difficult job, but it serves a vital role. Compared with pouring a new sidewalk, sidewalk grinders reduce municipalities’ costs, saving us all tax dollars. And it keeps pedestrians safe while making it easier for strollers to pass.
Which brings me to the analogy: I am certain that throughout all of our organizations, there are people and departments that are similar to sidewalk grinders. These are our employees who work hard to reduce costs and keep the rest of us and our business safe. For me, it has been my internal communications team. They have worked tirelessly and generally out of the spotlight, ensuring that the organization’s needs were met cost-effectively and without putting us in harm’s way.
I invite the readers of this post to think about the people and the departments that embody this concept and reply to the post with your thoughts as to who or what departments most resemble our “sidewalk grinders.”
