Number 40 of 52 Lifelong Communication Lessons: Standing out
October 05, 2015 |
| The mascot for Expo 86, "Expo Ernie" Photo credit: World's Fair Photos |
The year was 1986.
Smoking was starting to be banned on all modes of transportation in North America, we were innocently watching the Cosby show thinking Bill was the ideal Dad, and of course, in Vancouver, it was the year of Expo 86, a six month party for most of us.
At the end of that year, I made the grave error of trying out the skateboard of a friend's son. The last time I had done anything remotely similar, it involved a pair of roller skates and a board. I had no idea the more updated version was so speedy and pushed off with great force. My opposite leg went straight up in the air and I landed hard on my left arm. Of course, I am left handed. Broke it.
Not only was I upset and hurting about the arm, I was dreading the explanations. Talk about losing your credibility as a professional. I could obfuscate to a point but inevitably I would have to fess up to an embarrassing adolescent moment.
But this story is not about me. The tale of the broken arm is only to set the context. There was this guy who had been aggressively pursuing a job with me and my team. He was smart and had extensive experience as a TV news producer but none in the field of communications. I really liked him but was not sure he would fully embrace the change of mindset required for the job. Going from media to communications is not always a smooth transition. People often think it is a natural evolution. But, media is only one component of the communications biz. There is much more and it takes a multimodal lens to have all the skills required. It is all about the right strategy and sometimes media is not even a part of the mix. I had some reservations about his ability to move beyond that media focus.
He heard about my little escapade. The next week he sent me a huge card with a cartoon like drawing of me on the front cover - flipping off a skateboard. It was brilliant. Funny, sweet and endeared him to me, even more. I hired him shortly after that. This is not to say people get hired by sending gimmicks. Personally, I am not a fan of the hackneyed silliness of people who would send shoes... to "get their foot in the door". Ar ar.
What this man did worked because it demonstrated so much more. He connected to me in a personal and humourous way but it also proved he was able to get someone to do the drawing and capture me perfectly. It illustrated he was determined. He convinced me he knew how to get through the clutter. Many people with more relevant experience wanted to work in our shop but never showed that kind of creativity.
He made the transition quickly and was an excellent communicator. We often talked about how ready he was to embrace change. He never looked back. He went on to have a great career in the business. It takes strategic thinking to stand out effectively.
Communication Lessons:
- There is always a silver lining. As much as I moaned about struggling with one arm for six weeks, I was thrilled to end up with such a great employee.
- Getting noticed is only one element of standing out. It is critical to strategically stand out.
- People can transition to new jobs if they embrace new ways.
Fast Forward to 2015:
With the imminent election, I look at my local candidates from the perspective of how they will transition into leadership roles. In our community we have a city councillor, a retired judge, a scientist and high tech start up CEO, a longshoreman, a journeyman technician/union rep and a former postal worker. Some make more noise than others, some are more strategic in getting noticed. However, when it comes to voting day, their platforms trump all other skills.
Posts
0 comments