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| Business unusual was a given at most
companies this week, with employers willing to give staff time to
cope with the consuming tragic events. But the sooner things gear
back up, the better, many area executives said Thursday. For some, getting their businesses back in sync is more than a matter of money - it's a patriotic challenge. "The terrorists targeted the fabric of our society through our businesses," said Cynthia Driskill, chief executive of CDG & Associates, a Dallas-based consulting firm. Four of her employees were in New York on assignment Tuesday and narrowly escaped the financial district carnage. "If we stop business, then we're giving them what they tried to achieve. We're not going to do that." It's clear to Bob Potter, technology and management consultant in Irving, that the terrorists intended to disrupt both the U.S. government and its economy. Failing to get back to work quickly does just that, he said. "We must maintain the momentum of capitalism and the strength of democracy. If we give up on either one, they win," he said. "That's why I came to work today with an American flag tie around my neck." Dallas industrial psychologist Bob Rose said that for the next few days, employees "aren't going to be their sharpest or most focused. Employers need to understand that and to cut them some slack." He warned that some employees will experience "a rebound effect" a week or a month from now when they seem to be on edge and exhibit some irrational behavior. It's important for bosses to realize that this is an extension of the tragedy and to deal openly with it, getting professional help for those who need it. Jack Hautaluoma, a professor of psychology at Colorado State University, said that people might recover faster within the structure of their workplaces than those who stay at home alone. "People can get therapeutic benefits from working," he said. "If you're looking for meaning in a time of great confusion, work is going to give it to you." No time for feelings Employees at Plano-based Alliance Systems Inc. haven't had time to handle the emotional issues of Tuesday's disaster. The company ramped up operations as soon as the news broke, expecting that many of its customers in New York would need their communications networks restored. "The unfortunate part of being in the telecommunications business is it's 24/7/365 - and it doesn't matter if the world blows up," said the company CEO Jonathan Shapiro. "My employees feel we have a mission." His business, like most in the telecommunications industry, has faced serious challenges this year. "There's fear that this will kick the company in the gut again," he said. But, he added, the terrorist attack has given him new resolve to fight for his company and his country. "I'll bust my chops in the next year because I feel it's more important than ever." In 1963, Bill Cooper was chairman of the Dallas Market Center, where John F. Kennedy's motorcade was headed. The president was assassinated on a Friday. Mr. Cooper, now 80, was at his office negotiating leases the following Monday morning. But today's horrors, he said, have been more logistically disruptive and vividly detailed nonstop in the media. "This is a real disaster that in some ways is worse than Pearl Harbor." He said he doesn't expect normalcy to return until airlines are back on schedule and the mail is being delivered routinely - probably the middle of next week. Long-term concerns Ken Schnitzer, owner and chairman of Park Place Dealerships, knows that unexpected events can throw a monkey wrench into the economy. The Persian Gulf War did just that to his auto sales in 1991. But he remains optimistic despite this latest crisis. "I'm not saying it's been business as usual," said Mr. Schnitzer, who was stranded in San Francisco on Thursday. "But we've sold some cars this week. We're still bullish about the future." Al Biernat, owner of the restaurant that bears his name, saw several large bookings evaporate this week with groups that couldn't make it into town. He worries that business travel will be thwarted even after flights are back to normal. The local economy, he knows firsthand, depends heavily on those business and convention travelers. Many others in the business community echoed his concerns. "We've seen a sea change in the way the world acts and interacts," said Ted Strauss, senior managing director of Bear Stearns in Dallas. "This is a deep wound. I'm very concerned about the economy." Tom Leppert, chairman and CEO of Dallas-based Turner Corp., the nation's largest commercial construction company, has major operations in New York and, in fact, helped rebuild the World Trade Center after the bombing in 1993. He said he expects his company to be doing its normal daily work next week but fears the psychological damage will be long lasting. "The ultimate ramifications can only be fantasized," he said, adding that the economy is in a precarious state and that a slowdown in travel could send it into recession. "We have to be careful not to be so draconian that suddenly they've won." Staff writer Sudeep Reddy contributed to this report. Illustrations/Photos: PHOTO(S): 1. Cynthia Driskill. 2. Tom Leppert. 3. (MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Staff Photographer) Will Wilkerson, owner of the South Prairie Oyster Bar on Main Street in Grapevine, puts up a U.S. flag to show his patriotism. Keywords: TERRORISM TERRORIST ATTACK WORLD TRADE CENTER PENTAGON |
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