I know that pilots have a chance to perfect what they are going to say over the intercom to passengers all day long, but I wonder how many take the time to think about each thing they will say and when they will say it to motivate and persuade people.
I met such a pilot on a recent Delta flight. He was one of the most motivating positive-sounding voices I’ve heard. You could tell that as people were enjoying it AND that they were waiting for the next thing he would say.
If others were similar to me, it made us connect with him and see the flight as a very positive experience. I couldn’t wait to thank him for the flight AND his flight talk when I exited the plane and he was standing outside the cockpit.
I wonder if people are saying that about us as leaders. Are they motivated by what we say and how we say it? Maybe it’s time to ask the questions below. Each question will indicate how this pilot handled his flight experience for us:
QUESTIONS FOR YOU THIS WEEK
- Do you smile when you say something?
- Do you keep it SHORT so that you only use the words you need?
- Do you make it SIMPLE so that people always know what you mean?
- Do you SELECT the right words that get you the best results?
- Do you give people HOPE in everything you say?
- Are you PERSUASIVE so that we would all follow you?
- Do you give frequent UPDATES so that we never have to wonder?
- When we get there do you make it CELEBRATORY?
Obviously, we don’t always have time to plan every single thing we say, but the above questions could be used as a general checklist so that we get better and better.