A barren ghost town. I looked on the ground and saw a small tumbleweed blow by. Not a soul to be found, and I could tell that I was probably one of their few visitors that day. Where am I? If you guessed a Christian music store…then you may be partially correct. But this was actually the scene I found myself in at the Post Office today. I walked in a few hours after they had opened and was surprised at how clean the floors were. Even the big trash can that everyone throws their junk mail in without hesitation was empty. I checked my PO box and it was empty as well.

I walked into the office to send some certified mail and there was no one to be found so I proceeded to fill out my envelope and a lady came running to the counter to greet me. “I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t see you…what can I help you with?” It reminded me of how my grandmother used to talk to me…trying to be calm, but SO excited to have company…looking for any way to make me want to come back soon. I made a comment about how I pay all of my bills online now, so I don’t even have an envelope or a stamp at my house. I could tell she had heard this often. She said “yeah, that online stuff has really hurt us”. Then she began to tell me how even the local grocery stores had cut back on their junk mail advertisement. Apparently, she has had several people to come in and ask why they weren’t receiving as much mail as they were used to getting. So I asked “What are you guys doing about it?”, sincerely thinking I would hear about how they had sold a mail vehicle or were offering some newer products. She said “well, we’re all paying our bills the old way…and hoping everyone else will, too”. I was amazed to say the least!

The USPS used to be such a solid company that many people thought they were a government agency. Now, they find themselves raising the price of stamps to be able to stay afloat. I have to ask myself, “Why didn’t they see this coming?” A decade ago, people started logging into AOL and hearing “you’ve got mail”. About this same time they started using the term “snail mail” to describe the less-effective method of sending packages. A few years later, people started to increase their online shopping. Instead of letting UPS, FEDEX, and DHL grab up a large majority of those deliveries…was the Postal Service just thinking this internet fad would go away? I may be wrong, but it seems that they have ignored the very thing that may destroy them.

Ignorance is a choice…not a trait that’s forced on you. At some point, someone in the auto industry, postal service, and mortgage industry made a DECISION to IGNORE the facts. “Keep making cars that people don’t want…keep charging people for something they can do online for free…keep over-promising and under-delivering…IT’LL ALL WORK OUT”

Well, wake up…its not working out. What are you IGNORING? In your business/organization, what things have you or others seen…but you’ve chosen to ignore it? Maybe you’ve seen that one person that is holding everyone else back. Maybe people are burning out. Maybe your old products and ideas aren’t exciting people anymore.

Ignore it today…it’ll still be there tomorrow, and the next day, and the very thing you choose to IGNORE today may be thing that overcomes you tomorrow.