Thursday, September 12, 2013

Assuming




His request approved, the CNN News photographer
quickly used a cell phone to call the local airport
to charter a flight.
He was told a twin-engine plane
would be waiting for him at the airport.
Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane
warming up outside a hanger.
  He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut,
and shouted, 'Let's go'.
The pilot taxied out, swung the plane
into the wind and took off.
Once in the air, the photographer instructed
the pilot, 'Fly over the valley and make
low passes so I can take pictures
of the fires on the hillsides.'
'Why?' asked the pilot.

'Because I'm a photographer for CNN',
he responded, 'and I need to get
some close up shots.'

The pilot was strangely silent for a moment,
finally he stammered, 'So, what you're telling me,
is . . . You're NOT my flight instructor?'

Are you really asking the hard questions of your customers or not because you are afraid of the answers or afraid of "offending them".  Get over it as you are as guilty as the guy in the story above and the consequences while maybe not life threatening could be dire.  There is nothing threatening about asking the following: " I just have a gut feeling that there are some issues that we need to discuss that we have neither taken the time to do so."  You can do this and you need to do this.  You have a sixth sense or you would not be doing what you are doing.  Please take advantage of that talent rather than waiting around to react to something after it happens.

Zooming not assuming,
Captain Dan

No comments:

Post a Comment