The Board Members never did realise
The effort and patience that went into
Keeping the dying embers of ambition alive
When they closed all the business doors and
Barely left half a window open with slow decisions
And a tepid interest in the welfare of the stakeholders
Fresh air and ideas were soon in very short supply
Almost everyone was gasping for breath
The place was also slowly getting infested with
Negative creepy crawlies who began to occupy
Every available vacant space with intentions
To devour the minds of the more healthy staff
A fog of lifelessness and inertia covered the area
The usual heated internal debates among staff
Became less audible as the lone loud voices
Were seemingly stifled by vested interests
Despair took the place of hope and enthusiasm
It was only when a neighbouring business
Declared bankruptcy and went into liquidation
That the Board finally awakened and began
Moving away from its complacent stand
Admitting grudgingly that they still had a team
Who with the right dose of encouragement
Would seize new opportunities and produce results
Fortunately, this time the board did not fall prey to
The too little too late syndrome
Instead they opened the doors wider and
Let the fresh air in giving one and all
Adequate time to adjust to the new climate
Revive the company and its bottom line
Moral of the story – It is not always that
A competitor goes bankrupt at the right time!
Sandra Martyres
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/corporate-boards-and-lessons/
