Number 14 of 52 Lifelong Communication Lessons: Ask, don't assume
April 06, 2015 |
| Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand in front of the Virgin Atlantic Flyer, 1987 |
The year was 1987.
Richard
Branson and Per Lindstrand make the first transatlantic hot air balloon
flight. Andy Warhol dies. An Inukshuk
sculpture, 20 feet high and weighing 70,000 pounds was reassembled at English
Bay in Vancouver. It had been featured at Expo 86 in the Northwest Territories
pavilion.
Our
PR firm was contracted that year to do the “turning over” ceremony for Canada
Place’s Trade and Convention Centre. After serving as the Canada Pavillion for
the World’s Fair in 1986, it was now going to be Vancouver’s biggest meeting
facility.
My
business partner, the ever-brilliant, Patsy Worrall came up
with an idea that would demonstrate the economic impact of the facility. She
brought together “freeze models” that would depict all the various industries
that would derive benefits. She had people stationed throughout the huge entrance hall as everything from hotel doormen, taxi drivers, lounge singers and any other
potential business that might reap some of the financial spin off. They were
called freeze models because they would hold a pose for a few minutes looking
like wax figures then move to strike another pose keeping the crowd
entertained. (Note: Madonna did not release her Vogue song about striking a
pose until 1990 – Patsy was always ahead of the curve!)
I
was upstairs briefing Ministers (that might be another future blog story) who
were going to share the stage. Working with various levels of government can be
tricky if there are other issues going on aside from the positive photo ops
like this one.
Anyway,
after my briefing I headed down to the concourse to have a look around. Patsy
was off getting her models and team ready. I noticed a little piece of masking
tape on the floor so I picked it up. We always prided ourselves on paying
attention to the smallest details. Then, I saw another bit of tape on a bench
and then a few more scattered around. I thought some worker had been super
careless. Patsy came out to find me on the hunt for more and immediately
stopped me in my tracks. “What on earth are you doing?” she lamented. She had
all those little bits of tape set up for the freeze models to know where to
stand. Ooops! Sorry, pal.
I
should have stayed in my own lane. I was there to brief Ministers and if I
thought there was something amiss at the event I should have gone to Patsy
rather than make assumptions. Basic business fundamentals – always ask before
you start mucking around in someone else’s sandbox.
Communications
lessons:
- If
you think something is wrong or off base, go directly to the source or person
in charge and ask about it.
- Don’t
assume anything, anytime, anywhere – there is so often a backstory or reason
that you are not privy to.
- Respect
your co-workers – what on earth made me think Patsy would not have seen those
bits of masking tape?
Fast forward to 2015:
Fast forward to 2015:
People tell me stories all the time about how their boss or
colleague has muddied up a project simply because they did not come and check
with the person directly involved. Something
to think about.
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