A few years back, I was running a software company with about 150 employees. I'd been brought in from the outside, and it was my first time as a CEO. In the middle of a workday, a few months into my tenure, a popular employee collapsed and died while training for a charity bike race. He was middle aged and in seemingly good health. His death came as a huge shock to the entire company. Many employees were distraught.
We were three weeks out from a major service upgrade, and under a tight schedule. I thought I needed to do something to acknowledge everyone's loss, but I also was under pressure to deliver. I went to my boss, the chairman (who happened to be the son-in-law of the billionaire owner), and asked his opinion. He thought those close to the employee should be allowed to visit with his family, but we had a deadline. He wasn't going to tell me what to do, but I still had to meet our goals.
I went against his advice. It was a Wednesday, and I decided to close the company until Monday after the funeral. Team members could work if they wanted to, but we declared the days as holidays. This was greeted with great relief. It eliminated the tension between being a good colleague and person and doing one's job.
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