I am a frequent flyer. I am rarely nervous flying or annoyed by the inevitable delays and unpredictable behavior of the airlines. This past week, however, I found myself both nervous and annoyed. And I found the follow up to my first episode of the 'Communication Crime Scene'.
I was uncharacteristically early for my flight leaving Providence heading to Chattanooga via Atlanta, and I predicted a good travel day as I boarded and departed on time. One narcoleptic episode later, I awoke to what I assumed was the 'turn off your things, put away your stuff, and sit upright for landing' announcement. Unfortunately, it was the 'we're in a holding pattern and circling Atlanta' announcement that meant an additional half hour in the air. As I nodded back off to sleep, I recall the pilot mentioning two possibilities...either we get the go ahead to land earlier than planned OR we land at another airport to get gas. About fifteen minutes later, thankfully the former came true and we started the descent.
'Started' being the operative word...just as we broke through the clouds and as I spotted the airport below, the plane suddenly pulled up and started climbing. I have experienced this before, so I awaited the pilot's calming voice assuring us that it was nothing to be concerned about and providing some rational explanation.
Nothing.
I looked around at the other passengers wondering if they were waiting for the same thing.
Still nothing.
This is when I started making up my own explanation.
Another plane was on our runway...the landing gear wouldn't come down...air traffic control just said 'pull up'...we are now headed to another airport to get that gas...the pilot isn't saying anything because he is frantically working to determine if he can keep the plane in the air long enough to get that gas...
Fifteen minutes later, we landed in Atlanta. No crash landing, no diverting to another airport, no explanation.
Once in the terminal and sitting at the gate for my next flight, the failure on the part of the pilot and flight crew hit me. Their lack of communication under the circumstances was irresponsible and just plain annoying, and it offered up some basic thoughts on communication.
Saying nothing is easy (and lazy)
When the message is difficult or confusing or carries potential to create unwanted reactions, it's tempting to avoid saying anything at all. It may appear to be the easy way out, and maybe it will just pass, but more often than not people will start to create their own stories, explanations, or rationale which are often worse than the truth. Even though the outcome of my flight was uneventful, I was left aggravated and uncomfortable.
Modify the message
It is fair and appropriate to recognize how much your audience can digest. Brutal honesty is also sometimes easier than crafting a suitable message that will assist in understanding the circumstances. I didn't expect (nor want) the pilot to give me a blow by blow of what had happened, but a recognition of what I had experienced and an indication of what to expect next would have gone a long way.
Be prepared for the reactions
No matter how well crafted a message may be, there will inevitable reactions and questions. Anticipating (and welcoming) their arrival and thinking through the responses is a necessary part of effective communication. I later regretted not asking the crew on the way off the plane what had happened; my guess is that they were assuming that we would be so eager to catch our connections that we wouldn't ask.
Accepting the fact that communication is something to be developed and nurtured...personally, professionally, one on one, to a team, organization, company, country...is not an excuse but a way of continually taking ownership of decisions and actions. Those receiving our messages will ultimately excuse imperfection but will end up distrusting silence.
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