Communication matters – just ask

Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 9:53 am

Isn’t it strange how important communication is? I don’t just mean the action of communicating, talking or writing, I mean the act, the way the message is delivered. I had two such startlingly different experiences in the space of fives hours that I thought I really must share it with you.

I mentioned before, that last year, we were due to fly out on holiday on Boxing Day. We duly took off from Gatwick and instead of turning right towards the warm Red Sea in Egypt we banked left over the North Sea, a little odd. That was until the pilot announced that he was sorry we were on our way back to Gatwick as the plane had technical difficulties. Naturally we were all very disappointed.

pilot

Once we landed the pilot did an amazing, although quite simple thing, he left the confines of his secure cabin and stood in front of the whole plane and spoke to us face to face. It made such a difference to both see and hear him say how sorry he was, it was believable, he said that every effort was being made to repair the plane but we would have to disembark for an hour to give the engineers a chance to work. Off we trotted, no complaints were heard, everyone accepting and still in the holiday experience.

After two hours with no news a number of passengers started to make their way down to the ground agents desk to ask for an update. Eventually an announcement was made that the flight was to be cancelled until the following morning. We were then advised to return to the baggage area through passport control and collect our cases, in effect to reverse the checking in process. It was at that point that communication really did start to break down rapidly. I do understand that it was holiday time and this event unplanned. However I also believe there was enough time to arrange for staff to support us. Instead we followed in line as one ground staff member lead us to a ‘secret passageway’ never normally visited by passengers. Somehow we lost her! Partly through luck and good judgement we arrived at passport control again alone, well except for the other 230 people following us.

We bumbled along not really knowing what to do, after about five minutes or so standing outside passport control a small group of us headed off purposefully towards the luggage area on the basis that we had to collect our cases and that was mostly likely where the ground staff would be. After getting our cases I suggested that we return to the check in desk, as we were still alone (literally by this point as the airport was beginning to empty). We walked back through an almost deserted airport departures area to the check in and in true British fashion formed yet another an orderly queue.

Anyone in uniform was asked what should we do next? where were we supposed to go? what were we supposed to do? No-one seemed to know what was going on. After a 30 minute wait (I never realised I was so patient : ) ) a holiday check in staff member arrived and without a megaphone announced that we would be staying at the airport hotel, dinner at 7pm, see you back here in the morning! At least we knew what the situation was. As we turned and left the front of the queue, other passengers looked confused. Gradually the wave of 200 plus passengers turned and followed as we formed another straggly line to the hotel.

Another queue, another information ‘desert’. I decided to go and ask the hotel what was happening, no-one had arrive to greet us, no-one had acknowledged our presence. It seems they were not going to be ready for another hour and that we were to wait in line in the cold corridor outside the hotel. I suggested that as there were families that maybe we could come in and sit and order drinks. Apparently the hotel wasn’t big enough to accommodate such a sudden influx of people. I found myself taking on the role of group communicator and proceeded to walk down the line stopping every so often to call out the news that we were to wait in line til 5pm and then we would be booked in. People appeared relieved to hear news. As I started to walk back you could hear the beginnings of rumblings of discontent.

By the time we checked into our room, organised our luggage and headed out for a walk to the shops in the departure lounge the last few passengers were completing the check in process. However, other groups had started to form. Two distinct approaches to the situation. One group were talking about how they were being lied to, and implying some grander conspiracy, this small group of six attracted and then lost the interest of various passing passengers. The other group generated a more interesting result. One woman was shouting and waving her arms at a hotel manager, she had a couple of supporters (possibly her holiday party or others) standing close to her and then a more distant circle of curious onlookers.

I realised how differently people approach situations; that we all seem to have a tolerance level and that when that is reached our reactions can be positive or less positive. I felt I had a very low threshold for just standing around without purpose. I deliberately went and sort out information. I needed to understand the purpose of my standing in line, once I had the information (apart from sharing it with others) I was happy to then carry on and comply with instructions, which had to me seemed fair enough though not ideal (I believe I could and would have organised things differently). Other people can react with anger or suspicion, while the majority took no action at all.

How do you react in situations? Do you just stand in line waiting to be told what to do? Do you fly off the handle or maybe even worse look for explanations in conspiracy and the fact that everyone or thing is against you? I believe a key success factor in life and in business is to be informed. Once you now the facts you can make informed decisions about how to react, whether to wait (for a purpose), whether to change lines, whether to move to a new location. Anger and frustration, suspicion and conspiracy may well be a result of not taking the initiative to ask or seek out information for yourself.

To our mutual success, wealth and happiness
Vicki – The Property Mermaid

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