We gotta make the invisible visible.
It happens. It exists. Just because we may not see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Operational costs cover the things that most of us take for granted in our workspaces and in our daily lives: the trash pickup, the lights, the water, the equipment, the furniture, the storage space and the items to put the stuff we are storing on, and the people who arrange and and people who pay all those people and for the stuff.
Most of these things (especially if they are done right) happen “seemingly” in the background. It all happens as if by magic.
But there are people and systems in place that get it done. Someone came in before/after hours to receive and put those items there (or take them away). Someone is doing maintenance on the machines (coffee, HVAC and otherwise), ensuring that locks, doors and windows are maintained, and that property is clean and secure (fencing, landscaping, etc.)
The same applies to our home lives as it does to a business or office.
There are the things we do (or maybe don’t do, depending) in our homes to keep things running. There are no laundry elves and a food fairy. People do these things (paid or unpaid) for others. We give such little thought, effort and respect to domestic labor so it’s not surprising that it is the same or worse in an “industry.”
When we are talking about “the bottom line”, it seems like these things (the electricity elf, the trash fairy) aren’t considered. They are usually the first to be questioned or just get cut (minus the electricity but usually everything else.) There is an unacknowledged assumption that someone will eventually do these missing tasks (usually someone low on the totem pole in the organization) without ever assigning it, without making sure there is the time and resources (planning) to make sure in the future it doesn’t become a problem.
Until the lights go out, the trash is overflowing, and the building needs an extensive (and expensive) repair, then all of a sudden it becomes important. (And way more time and $$ consuming than it could have been if planned for and done correctly along the way.)
When everything went haywire in 2020, there was more visibility of these operational and domestic costs. We couldn’t hide from what it takes to function (barely) in society: the daily meals, cleaning and upkeep it takes just to survive. Especially as the support systems we once thought we could rely on, crumbled before our very eyes.
There was questioning about the time and effort we put into some of that upkeep (the office buildings, the supply chains, how we do things). Some of it disappeared in these last 4 years (for the better) and some of the work has been “forced” to disappear (well, we didn’t worry about it before why worry about it now?)
But just because you don’t see it anymore, doesn’t mean all that work isn’t there.
Have you heard this story of the IT person?
My summary: IT Person works at the company X, paid well for the knowledge, effort. maintenance and planning that went into the systems. Everything operated smoothly, never a problem. But no one ever “saw IT person working.” (As in like solving problems, moving wires etc.) So company X figured why keep paying the person well for the job?
Company X decided to hire a new person (or two) – for WAY less money than the one person. Funnily enough, everything stopped working. And now they saw new IT Person #1 and new IT Person #2 working but actually nothing was working – constantly.
So did they really save money? (The answer is NO.)
People freak out when supply chains stop, when things aren’t stocked at the grocery store, or bathrooms aren’t cleaned, or no one is around to assist. But unfortunately the freak outs are just that. Emotional Freak outs.
Better spent would be taking that energy and pouring it into supporting the supporters: giving them a better wage, time, resources and space in an effective and meaningful way. We know it can be done. We just did it, not that long ago and it seemed that we were better for it. How much better would everything be for everyone? (And isn’t that the point? Not just making $$?)
We want to throw band-aids on massive chest wounds and call it good.
I love this stuff. This is the stuff that no one wants to talk about, pay, or acknowledge. But it is FOUNDATIONAL.
It all happens in the background, making the things appear and function as if by magic. Not everyone needs to know everything and how it all works. You don’t even have to do it all. But you do need to know (so you know how you can have others help you make it happen and get it done.)