Conversations in Management
During
the course of his long life, there were plenty of things for Ben
Franklin to worry about. When it became apparent that his
apprenticeship to his brother James wasn’t working out, he ran
away—then an illegal act—and started fresh in Philadelphia. When
an early financial backer left him stranded in London, he simply
found a job and saved his money until he could afford to sail
back home. It was a demonstration of the confidence and
fortitude that would characterize his entire life. Rather than
getting mired down by his troubles and catastrophizing bad luck,
He kept, “in the sunlight.” In other words, when faced with a
problem, he didn’t worry about it, he did something about
it.
Nowhere is
this more evident than in his concern about fire. Fire
was the great scourge of colonial America. Virtually everything
in the home was combustible and a small fire could quickly
engulf an entire community. And fires were very easy to start.
A damaged chimney, a neglected candle or a lightning strike
could swiftly and without warning devastate a family. Fire was
definitely something to worry about. But with his “sunlight”
philosophy, Franklin did something about it. He began in 1736 by
founding the Union Fire Company—the first such
organization in Philadelphia. In 1743 he introduced the Franklin
stove. It was a fuel and heat efficient appliance that provided
the added benefit or reducing the risk of fire. Not content
with fire fighting and prevention, he helped establish the
Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance Against Loss by Fire
in 1752. Under this plan, contributors were
indemnified against loss by fire. In practical terms, it meant
the difference between financial recovery and generational
poverty. At about the same time he rolled out his insurance
plan, Franklin was also experimenting with electricity. One of
the results of his well known kite flying escapades was the
invention of a device still seen on buildings today—the
lightning rod.
A lot
of us spend a lot of time worrying these days. Some
of it’s warranted, but most of it is the nervous anticipation of
things that will never happen. This kind of worry consumes our
time, disrupts our sleep and drains our spirit. There’s even a
word for it—fretting. It’s from the Old English and means
to eat away. When we fret we’re letting our
emotions be chafed raw and permitting our confidence to fray
like the end of a cheap rope. It produces no benefit and can do
real harm.
One of the principal causes of
fretting is fear of the unknown and nothing feeds that fear like
the rumor mill! Rumors may lurk in the shadows, but they’re
larger than life. A “good” rumor has mystery, intrigue and a
sense of imminent danger. The “best” ones are irresistible and
just beg to be discussed, ruminated over and passed along with a
variety of “improvements.” Of course, more than anything,
rumors create suspicion and uncertainly. That leads to an
erosion of trust and to a lot more fretting. If you find
yourself fretting because of the rumors swirling around you,
take a tip from Franklin. Try shining a light on your worries.
Figure out if there really is a basis for your fear. If there
is, do something about it—if there isn’t, let it go.
Fretting won’t make you better looking, a dollar richer or a
moment happier so bid it goodbye. Keep in the sunlight!
—Ebert
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