Interestingly, my well educated niece recently said she cringes at meetings when the speaker opens with “Good Morning” and pauses for a reaction. Is that reading the room before you give good or bad news?
That’s how most public speeches open. Like press announcements, lecturers, what have you. I would’ve never given it a second thought myself.
1 Like
The last 2 companies I sailed were SIU contracted. With the start of the required STCW classes, the companies and SIU worked very well together to combine classes, safety and company bullshit all in one week at a time at Piney Point. What pissed me off was we were paid our base pay but no pension contributions during the sessions. (Amazing how your priorities change when you’re over 50!) The last 10 years, the meetings almost always fell on the opening days of deer season or spring turkey season…the horror…
2 Likes
Yes Domer,that is true, but did make me think about why she cringed. Fresh donuts and coffee worked for me, but sometimes I got the feeling the speaker did not want to be there. She ( my niece) is actually pretty bright and did not rise to her present position by not being observant. I was always ok with “good morning” but never occurred to me by the pause afterwards what they were looking for in the temperature of the room.
I feel your pain Injunear, yes, your priorities change later on. Some don’t. Having those meetings during hunting season is a frigging bitch. A portion of my crew became very ill or family emergencies around that time. All good with that and put HR to work. It gave some other young men and women a chance to get in the door. I rarely sailed short. And enjoyed duck hunting with my friends. I get to be sick every now and then.
1 Like
They pause because the expected thing is for others to say “good morning” back.
I agree Phoenix, but what if they don’t say good morning back? Gonna be a shit meeting? Little smart niece has a clue what she is doing.,.Who is a very respected,well paid headhunter, although not maritime. Never thought about it in that manner, I always said good morning back as most of us gentlemen do… But her opinion did make me think about it a bit. Just wondering what my peers thought about those type of meetings. My answer to her was not about the greeting, which is normal, but the message afterwards in the next five to ten minutes sets the tone.
Some are going to respond and say good morning back and some are going to sulk. The trainer or lecturer gets a immediate snapshot of the kind of response he/she will receive to whatever he/she is proposing prior to the start of the session .
1 Like
Good way to find out if anyone is awake! Long pause, no response usually prompted me to sternly say, “I didn’t HEAR YOU!” But then that was a whole different time, age group and professional development level! Can’t pull that kinda stuff just everywhere!
Many meetings are not for the benefit of the attendees and they know it. Most of the featured speakers never realize or consider their audience has any intelligence whatsoever. Many speakers are going through the motions because they would rather be elsewhere.
All this is from personal observation Navy and after corporate stuff.
2 Likes
That was my take on her comment Lee_Shore. Caught me off guard, but made me think about the many meetings I went to way back when. She focused on the pause, and looked around herself… Fucking brilliant gal.
True. I was focusing on the line in the OP about “good or bad news” but it definitely gives the lecturer an idea of how much their day is going to suck.
2 Likes
Thanks guys for replying. I will contact her and explain to her the old guys response to her analysis. I don’t think she will be mad at me, as on other items we debate, but these young people do open up my eyes occasionally.