Please don’t flush

Once, when my ex was speaking at a book conference the readings for Children and young adults were in a room adjacent to the lady’s rest room. As a result, a long line of women wound their way around the walls of the room and behind the chair (a sort of wooden throne) where authors were seated to read. Unfortunately, the soundproofing wasn’t so good and the reverberation of a toilet flushing echoed off the walls of the lavatory into the reading room. Repeatedly.

Later that day the winner of the best Children’s book of the year took the podium to receive her award. Her first words were, “Please don’t flush while I’m reading.”

That’s the way I felt today. I was in my office working on quick tasks as I waited for a client to arrive. When he appeared to be 35 minutes late I began to worry. I picked up my phone to call him and saw the symbol indicating a text message.

Sure enough, he had cancelled the meeting and let me know via text.

I heard a giant flushing sound.

Communication is a one-way street.

Yes, Communications is between two individuals but there is a preference issue that must be confronted. One of the lessons I continually bring up with my clients is that the client should be allowed to dictate how you communicate with them. The most successful organizations always ask the client their preferred way of being contacted and then try to use that method.

I was wearing the wrong hat

He was being a client. I wasn’t being a good consultant. As soon as he was late I should have been monitoring text messages. We’ve talked about the fact that he is more comfortable on the phone than the computer and prefers text for quick messages even over voice.

But I had my client hat on and I just don’t like text particularly the assumption that you will immediately respond.

It’s a generational thing

People tell me that this is just one more way Boomers (like me) sometimes have difficulty communicating with younger folks. I’ve been around a while. The folks next door got the first TV on my street. Growing up there was one telephone in the house and it was on a party line, (No, not that kind of party!) a line with multiple phones each with a ring assigned to one home.

I just finished a presentation that recalled the escalation of networking technology starting in the 1890s. Since about 1960 the pace of change has decade by decade exceeded previous centuries. So, we older folks are at a disadvantage. All this stuff like computers, the internet, e-mail, cell phones, texting and social media is all new to us. We need to unlearn things as well as learn the new. Tain’t easy.

Younger folks find it much easier to catch on. Those jokes about having your grandchildren teach you how to use this whizbang stuff have a grain of truth at the heart of them.

Show your character

The point is, look at where you are in the relationship. Do you want to make things easy for the other person or for yourself? Would you prefer to just go along blithely avoiding any change in your ways? Should you even begin to consider someone else’s preferences?

Belly up. Find out what they like. And use that method.

If you have difficulty remembering, put it in the notes in your database/CRM. (On your computer and/or your phone).

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His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for Trust-based Brand development, Positioning and business development for independent professionals on and off-line.

Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com