Great Moments in Communication
This has been years ago, but the story bears repeating. It’s my classic example of leadership communication gone bad.
I worked with a guy named Dave, one of the most talented graphic/technical artists I have ever known. On one particular day, we had one project looming over both of us, as well as some things we were working on separately. Between separate meetings, we ran into each other in the hallway and had an impromptu conference on our shared project.
We had a decision to make, but we had to have a particular group approve before we could move forward. And while we both knew what they wanted, we both thought it was wise to have a final consultation with them.
Mind you, we were both in a hurry, so I cut communication corners. What was in my head was: “I think it’s best we get it straight from the horse’s mouth. I’ll talk to them about it.” That’s not how it came out, though. Imagine the look on Dave’s face when I said: “I’ll talk to the horse.”
I knew exactly what I meant. But I was the only one. It was worth a good laugh, and a few re-tellings.