Surprising what you overhear…

I was in a pub this lunchtime, which gave me ample time for some ‘people watching’. There were six other people, sat in pairs on three separate tables.  Two husband and wife combos, both in their 60’s or 70’s, who ate in total silence. And then on another table, a man and his friend, probably the same sort of age.

One of the men was holding forth with his views. Loudly and assertively. So astonishing were they, I actually made notes. Yes, really. I scribbled them on a receipt. Here are some typical snippets:

• Butchers? All womenisers and gamblers…
• You (to his friend). You’re frail. Anyone coming to your door could hit you over the head with a nearby piece of wood…
• All this horse meat fiasco? I mean it’s not right is it? But Italians and French? Well they all prefer horsemeat don’t they?
• In fact you automatically get horse steak in France, unless you specifically ask for beef…
• …People should be in prison until they prove themselves innocent…
• 15 years ago, things were much safer. 50 years ago there was no crime at all…

And on and on he went.

It occurred to me that no one was challenging him on his views. He was so sure of himself  that he didn’t need feedback, even though some of them were downright wrong. And I hazard to guess that the reason everyone else was so quiet, was because they were all listening too.

Many companies have exactly this sort of person in their midst. Maybe your own does. Someone with fixed views, which may well be out of kilter with the opinion of your team. Yet what they are very effectively doing is communicating their message.

Remember, everyone within your organisation is a representative of it. Which is why it’s vital to ensure the messages your team conveys are in line with the ethos and philosophy of your company.

And to do that, you need to work out what that ethos is, write it down, and importantly, communicate it to your team.

With so many ways now to amplify your conversation with the ‘outside world’, sensible senior managers are making sure they are providing leadership on the message.

Don’t let that opinionated employee hog the limelight with the wrong company information.