{"id":5466,"date":"2010-07-03T07:21:10","date_gmt":"2010-07-03T12:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/37d57f8fa2.nxcli.io\/blog\/?p=5466"},"modified":"2010-07-01T07:42:35","modified_gmt":"2010-07-01T12:42:35","slug":"communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketingforsuccess.com\/blog\/small-business-management\/communication\/","title":{"rendered":"The Funny Side of Communication"},"content":{"rendered":"

If, like me, you train regularly, you’ll know how easy it is to put your foot in it.<\/p>\n

I was reminded of this training truth recently when I read the obituary of one of the UK’s finest support comedians, John Junkin.<\/p>\n

Junkin had been a schoolmaster before treading the boards. The story goes that one day while taking a class of particularly uninspired fourth formers, Junkin had spotted a boy at the back of the room chewing gum.<\/p>\n

Summoning him to the front, Junkin stretched out a finger and pointed at the wastepaper basket where he expected the boy to spit out the gum.\"small<\/a><\/p>\n

The crestfallen boy walked over to the basket and, completely misunderstanding the silent instruction, obediently if sullenly, climbed in to take his punishment.<\/p>\n

History does not record the reaction of the class and Junkin himself. My guess is, he would have laughed his head off.<\/p>\n

The same thing, of course, happens every day in the training room.<\/p>\n

I can’t recall the number of times I’ve placed a set of handouts in front of the nearest person with the instruction, “Please pass these round”, only to look up a moment or two later to see all the handouts being passed from person to person and ending up in a pile in front of the person at the back of the room. I now suspect that trainees see that one coming and just play along for laughs.<\/p>\n

Because laughs is what it is all about, as I’m sure John Junkin would have acknowledged.<\/p>\n

Comedy is always about mis-communication. When it’s between authority figures, like trainers and managers, and those in their charge, it’s even funnier.<\/p>\n

For example, how could you possibly keep a straight face if you heard this one from the vicar in the pulpit: “As this is Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.”<\/p>\n

Or this from a serious politician: “The car is killing 50 people a day across our nation. Let’s resolve to do better.”<\/p>\n

Or this from an old radio advertisement: “When you’re thirsty, try 7-Up, the refreshing drink with the big 7 on it and u-p after it.”<\/p>\n

I sometimes hope that my communications training only achieves a 90% success rate. Because that would leave a good 10% for some great bloopers and some great laughs!<\/p>\n

– Eric<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Eric Garner<\/a><\/strong>
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