When the weather gets cold and snowy, activity slows down for us at Spokane Roofing Company. That seasonal pause provides a great opportunity to sit back and reflect on what we have instead of what we might have lost in this turbulent COVID year.
In a year with more changes than we have ever had, I realize that we are more fortunate than most. Our success gives us the opportunity to reflect on the more important things. We remember that even when things are rough right now, they will improve at some point. It is important to look at where we have been to create a path for where we are going.
Like many construction contractors, ours is a seasonal business. We have a lot of employees on the sidelines right now. Our service department is always running, but capital projects are risky business in the winter. Once you get involved in a big project, you are rolling the dice to finish it before bad weather ends the construction season.
The question that I find myself asking increasingly right now is, ‘How do we get through this together?’ It is important for our work family to stay connected, to stay engaged with all our employees. Even when we are apart, we try to find ways to stay together, to maintain the relationships that keep our minds OK.
The world has changed this year, but our values have not. Being a seasonal business has its advantages, and one of them is being able to take a break for reflection. The most important thing for me is to wake up every day and treat people with compassion and respect. I want to continue to build my team and to find ways to make people’s lives better.
I am blessed with success at Spokane Roofing Company, but work is just one piece of that story. Over the last few years, I have come to realize that the difference between success and failure is not making excuses. When I got that, I started to use the offseason time to prepare for the future.
For a long time, I would be stressed out during down times. I was happier and healthier when I began to use those times to develop new skills, including stress management. The challenge is to manage our time and to find the blessings in being seasonal. That can be difficult for everyone when money is not coming in, and so I focus on ways that I can help our people through tough times.
That is one of the things that makes Spokane Roofing Company unique in this business and in this market. We have worked hard to create a company culture that is attractive to prospective employees, who know that they will be respected and treated well all year around. We are grateful for the positive things we have, and we are grateful for our employees.
It really can be a wonderful time of year, when we take the time to think about it. The snow will melt, and life will get better. The world always changes, and when we prepare, we are ready to change with it.