Dining with Della: Robb Lucy at Nanaimo Sushi

September 05, 2016

Based on a past blog lunch where my guest splattered tomato sauce on his shirt, I now try to take pictures of people before they eat. As you can see by Robb Lucy's photo, he survived the meal without a splat. Quite the feat if you could have witnessed the pool of teriyaki sauce going over his plate and on to the table. We dined at a crowded little sushi joint in East Van. The place was packed. Construction workers seemed to dominate the clientele in this down to earth locale. The place is a bit messy but the food was good.

Robb is a producer and an author. His book, Legacies Aren't Just for Dead People is a compelling approach to looking at life from a different perspective. It is about creating lasting and meaningful contributions now, versus saving them for your obit. Robb is a testament to creating legacies. He is a co-founder of Make-a-Wish Canada, the organization that grants wishes to children with life threatening illnesses. He produced a book about his late father's Second World War experiences. He captured his father's many war time stories on cassette, while on fishing trips. He will now get those priceless tapes formatted for family so they can listen to the patriarch's voice any time.

Doing the book about his dad sparked his current legacy focus. Now on the speaking/seminar circuit and doing media interviews he is encouraging us all to find happiness and meaning via legacies, big and small. Buy his book if you have been thinking about a special project or recording someone's life story. It will inspire you.

Robb comes by storytelling expertise via his years in production working for places like the CBC and creating educational and promotional videos for clients as far away as China.

What worked...

What one bit of communication impacted your life?

Robb had three points to make here.

(Note from Della: As a sidebar, I took Keith Spicer's Winging It course by Robb early in my career. The focus is to concentrate on three messages with a variety of visual formulas to help you survive being put on the spot. I still use the lessons from that course. And, he still practices what he preached.)

1. In Grade 10 during his Catholic Boys School dinner, a priest regaled the lads with a fast paced story then asked each one what they remembered. Not much was retained. He told the story again but slower, at about a tenth of the speed and with descriptors. The young gents heard and absorbed much more of the story. It impacted Robb, the young, quick speaking Celtic boy. This is where he first learned about pauses, visuals and pacing.

2. The next lesson came via Keith Spicer, the journalist, writer and public servant who famously chaired the 1990 Citizens Forum on National Unity. Known as the Spicer Commission, it was a major public dialogue about Canadian values and the well being of Canada. Keith taught Robb about the importance and value of structure. He still thinks through structure before embarking on any communications.

3. His third lesson was the need for only one question to truly get to know someone, "Tell me about... your life, how you feel, etc." The "Tell me about..." lead-in works like a charm for him.

What did not work...

When Robb started his private sector production company he rented the top floor of a large building, had a number of staff and was feeling the constant worry about bringing in revenue. His marketing staffer had brought in a top tier client and Robb was excited about the future prospect with this company. After the big presentation, the work did not flow. When he asked his marketing manager what went wrong, the fellow told him he was so busy talking about his services, he never got to know the client and what they needed.

The light bulb went on... he now knows it is so easy to make connections by taking an interest in the other person and their organization. I guess the saying, "it's not all about you", is a good reminder for this bit of sage advice.

What if...

What advice would you give to your younger self to enhance your ability to communicate with others – and why?

He would tell young Robb to pay attention to what your father does. When Robb's dad was in a long term care facility he was being wooed by a Catholic Monsignor and long time friend to move into his care centre. Word got out and when Robb arrived for his regular visit, one of the care workers approached him to plead the case to keep his father where he was. "You can't let him go," she said, "he makes us all feel so good".

Robb's lesson: Always leave people feeling good, with a smile on their face and learning something positive. Excellent life lesson.

BTW, his dad stayed in that facility. Feeling appreciated is a highly valued commodity. Robb's father obviously instilled many strong values into his son. What a great legacy!