The first thing I noticed is that very few people were taking any sort of personal responsibility.  Very few people were out clearing snow.  Motorists who ventured out were often not even clearing their windscreens properly before setting out on the roads.

The next thing I noticed was that many wanted to try and take shortcuts.  For example, try and force their way out of the snow rather than take a few minutes to prepare the area for their exit from their driveway or kerbside.

Thirdly when I was out on the road, people, despite being told over and over again about the importance of being careful, in some instances people drove as if it was a normal day with perfect conditions.

Finally, we rarely acknowledge the extreme efforts that many people are making to make sure that services and goods we need are available despite the conditions.  This includes the emergency services, hospitals, council roads people but also people like lorry drivers who make sure that supermarkets get the stocks needed.

I wonder what other lessons you would add to the learning that we can take from the current adverse weather conditions?  Leave a comment with your ideas.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to be highly effective leaders and managers.  For more information click here