Life creates learning moments. Here’s one as a communication coach I find priceless.
Sometimes there is not enough time to be eloquent, or craft your message perfectly, yet your audience gets the message. My husband has an uncle and aunt who live on a farm in southeastern Illinois. It has always been the favorite spot for all the cousins to congregate. From golf carts, four-wheelers; jumping from haylofts surrounded by acreage, as far as you could see, life was fun. The fragrance so siege, pigs in the pin and dressed cows hanging out in the garage, guaranteed meals were the best at Aunt Marilyn’s dinner table. . Living off the land and married to your work, does not leave much time for extras. This might have been the reason for Uncle Glenn and Aunt Marilyn’s experiment.
They had noticed a growing concern on the roof shingles—mold. A neighbor gave them the idea that bleach might take the growing mold off their roof quickly and retard its growth. Any good idea is worth a try—at least once.
Aunt Marilyn held on to the ladder as Uncle Glen shimmied up the rungs, never giving a thought to his artificial hip.
“Hey Marilyn!” yelled the seasoned farmer. “Toss up the hose! Will ya?”
Obedient to the command and experienced in working for years as a team, Marilyn looked on, watching the bleach covered section of the roof. “Be careful up there!” came her manager’s voice and command. Interested in seeing if it would work, Aunt Marilyn tried to figure just how much bleach she would need to buy in town the next day, to complete the job.
Just as Uncle Glen reached the roof peak, the man made mountain course was open and the skiing was unhindered. The elderly farmer stepped into a ride of his life, with the bleach like silk on the moldy roof and no bannister to grab. His arms flailed and he danced a jig, trying to stop his momentum.
Even the gutter was no obstacle for slowing down the memory, as Uncle Glen yelped, wheezed and tried to yell, as he maneuvered the make shift lift with a sudden drop to the ground—with no snowy cushion—but just hard old dirt.
Lying still with no movement, Aunt Marilyn watched in horror. In a flash the seen was filled with action, but the memory would live long after.
Stunned as she watched her partner lay face down on the ground, Aunt Marilyn heard a groan and soft directive—“Go get my crutches.”
Communication can be acted out and dramas are popular, however, a speaking engagement is not for falling flat on your face. I think Uncle Glen needed some performance coaching after his debut in lofty places. I, on the other hand, am hired to be a Communication Coach so the falling can stop and the words find their solid footing in the hearts of their audiences, with a sweet and effective landing. Old moldy notes of yesterday may not be as solid of a plan as you thought. Take the effort to not take short cuts, but skillfully rethink how to be a successful and great communicator for each and every presentation that comes your way. See you at the top.