Keeping the vision in front of you at all times is so very important.
When our theaters first opened they had one major concession stand and two smaller ones I’ll call “popcorn stations.” These stations were very cool. You didn’t have to walk very far from your theater to get your goodies and it helped minimize concession congestion.
A couple of months after the launch the popcorn stations started to fill up with boxes and other supplies. They were occasionally closed but that was okay. Then one day they just closed them down and they never opened again. Now, they are filled with old stand-ups, cleaning supplies and boxes. The theater has also become increasingly dirty over the years.
Now, I’m sure that nobody in management at the theater ever consciously decided to stop caring but slowly over time everyone that works at the theater has forgotten the original plan. They’re suffering from mission drift.
Sometimes I’ll walk by the old popcorn stations and remember “the good ol’ days.” I’ll often wonder what would happen if a new manager came in with a glimpse of what could be. What would happen if new leadership came in and cast a vision to the theater employees about being the best theater in the area?
i never saw them open…guess i missed that.
it’s easy for an idea (save $$$ by not staffing during the week) to become routine (“guess we can close it during the weekend since there are no big $$$ makers”) and for routine to become normal (“oh, we never use those, costs too much”) – even the best ideas can become sterile, normal and drift from their intended purpose.
i never saw them open…guess i missed that.
it’s easy for an idea (save $$$ by not staffing during the week) to become routine (“guess we can close it during the weekend since there are no big $$$ makers”) and for routine to become normal (“oh, we never use those, costs too much”) – even the best ideas can become sterile, normal and drift from their intended purpose.
Well said, Rick.
Well said, Rick.