Recently, my wife, Misty, and I were returning from a long weekend in New York City. Direct flights to Tulsa are few so we had the obligatory layover in Dallas, where afternoon thunderstorms had created havoc within the city and at DFW airport.
Flight after flight was cancelled or delayed, ours being one of the latter. We finally boarded and waited (and waited). The departure time was pushed back every 30 minutes or so and, while I’m sure the airline didn’t have much information, they gave us precious little of what they had. People were increasingly frustrated and just wanted to know what was happening, so they could make alternate plans. After two hours, the pilots “timed out” (they cannot exceeded their maximum daily flight time) and we were taken off the plane. The terminal was the most chaotic I’ve ever seen it. And I’ve been through DFW a lot.
During the four-hour drive home that night (yes, there’s more to the story and I’m skipping ahead), I kept thinking how simple it would have been for the airline to communicate more. Sure, patience and tempers were frayed all around, but so many breakdowns in relationships come from missed opportunities to communicate. That’s why it’s so important to work on this skillset, whether it’s in your personal or professional life—and no matter where you are in your career.
One great way to hone this skill comes from participating in professional development and networking events. This July 31 through August 2, SMPS will host Build Business in Washington, D.C. The conference will offer sessions that will help you enhance your professional skills–communication and otherwise–and I hope you’ll be able to attend. The SMPS Foundation will be hosting one of those sessions. There, you can hear about our recent research projects, all designed to give you information to communicate to your firms and make you and your colleagues even better marketers and business developers.
Part of communicating well includes making sure you acknowledge and thank those who’ve been supportive. As always and on behalf of the SMPS Foundation, we thank all of you who have donated and believe in the work we do. If you’re interested in helping our efforts, I invite you to make a tax-deductible* donation. Your support will directly contribute to the development of future initiatives that support our industry and professionals like you. Here are three ways to make a contribution:
Text2Give: To participate, text “Give 25” (to give $25, but you can enter any amount) to 703-991-6181 and follow the prompts. You do not need to include the $ character.
Check the Box: When you receive your annual SMPS membership dues renewal, simply check the box to give to the SMPS Foundation.
Donate online: Visit the SMPS Foundation webpage and support the foundation by making a donation.
Blue skies ahead!
Brad
SMPS Foundation President Brad Thurman, P.E., FSMPS, CPSM, is principal & chief marketing officer at Wallace Engineering in Tulsa, OK. He can be reached at bthurman@wallacesc.com.
*U.S. residents only.
