How many times have you been ready to watch real entertainment, get involved in a something grand, create a new product, accomplish a new goal, and wound up with a blank screen? We can certainly use that metaphor in a variety of ways and scenarios. The reality is we’ve all come upon our own blank screen from time to time. The problem, in essence, is not the blank screen at all. Instead, the problem is what you will do with that blank screen. You can sit and wait, or you can try to problem solve. What did I do? In the case of the broadcast, I checked other channels to see if the problem was unique to PBS, then I went online and in searching around was able to find highlight clips from the evening, and then I waited. And I waited. But, while waiting, I assured myself that if the problem were not solved by PBS, I would be able to catch aspects of the show later online. I used alternative media to make my determination, I utilized the time reading related information instead, I productively wrote on my blog, and I remained calm. Now, we’re talking about an entertaining program that did not exactly change the course of much of the immediate, nor distant, future. But, sometimes, in fact, often times, ‘the blank screen’ has a more resounding affect on our lives. These are the times when you want to be certain that you’ve got a strong team together to ‘fix’ things, by problem solving, evaluating alternatives, effectively analyzing the consequences and options, and by having the right resources in place to make things happen – quickly, if need be.

Truly an awful moment in broadcasting history. The program “In Performance at The White House” was interrupted for about 30 minutes, that’s 50% of the broadcast. The sound continued to fade in and out. I had to remind myself that this was 2010! But, I also had to remind myself that anything is possible, and the ‘sometimes’-type events seem to happen more often than sometimes, if we really think about it. The answer is not really about the actual ‘blank screen’ at all, instead, the answers lie in our ability to have the right team together to deal with the ‘blank screen.’

What would you do with a blank screen?
Who would you rely on?
Who’s on your team to help you manage the situation?

Moral:  always be ready to take on a blank screen.