The shooting that occurred this week in a movie theater between a man who was texting during movie previews and a retired police officer made national news and has generated a lot of discussion.  For those of you who have not heard about this event, what has been reported so far is this:  A man was texting in the theater before the feature movie began, and an argument ensued between the man and a retired police officer who was seated nearby.  The outcome of the argument was that the man who was texting was fatally shot by the other man.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion about what is acceptable behavior in a movie theater.  Most people say that talking on cell phones in the theater is distracting and unacceptable.  Some feel that any use of a cell phone, including texting or reading emails, inside a theater is rude.  Others say that until the feature movie begins, texting is fine – who wants to see previews, anyway?  There are dozens of opinions, and while I have seen most theaters include a statement on the movie screen about turning cell phones off, I suspect the policies will become more clearly defined and communicated as a result of this incident.

Apparently this movie theater had a policy of not allowing guns in the theater.  Questions are swirling around that policy.  Does the policy also apply to law enforcement, retired or active?  Was the policy clearly defined and communicated to theatergoers?  How is the policy enforced? 

Those same types of questions could apply in your business.  Do you have written policies and procedures?  Have they been clearly communicated to ALL of your employees?  What about communication to customers and vendors?  How are the policies being enforced?  What’s the protocol for disputes or disagreements?  Let’s learn from this unfortunate event and make positive changes in our businesses. 

Photo by:  fd / Foter.com / CC BY-NC