The Glacier: a lesson in communication

During a cruise to Alaska, a lady was amazed at the beauty of the open field covered with purple wildflowers, the distant snow-capped mountains, the silvery water, playful wildlife on sea and land, and the glaciers. One day while on deck she saw a glacier that was especially beautiful. One of the ship’s crew was passing by so she pointed toward the magnificent glacier and asked what it was.

“That's some dumb glacier,” she heard him reply.

She was furious. How could someone trivialize the beauty of such a picturesque formation?

She ran to the ship’s Captain to complain. After listening to her he apologized for her disappointment in his crew, reassuring her they loved the beauty offered by Alaska and was committed to making her vacation special. To make it up to her he invited her and her husband to join him at his table that evening.

Although she had been on many cruises she had only dreamed of having dinner at the captain’s table. How lucky it was that she cared enough about nature to be so upset when someone belittled its splendor.

Upon arriving in the dining room, the couple was escorted by the first mate to the Captain’s Table. It was elegant, with special flowers, fine china, and perfectly polished silver. A few other special guests were also at the table, each representing affluence, prestige, or some other element of high society.

Then the Captain arrived. Outranked by social stature, she was delighted as the Captain made her feel comfortable. The dinner was an enchanting experience. As the dinner ended the Captain signaled to his first officer, who promptly brought a wrapped gift. He suggested she wait until she returned to her cabin to open it, a plea she humbly followed.

Her feet could not travel fast enough back to their quarters. As soon as she was inside she ripped off the wrapping paper revealing an inspiring picture of the glacier at sunset. At the bottom of the picture was the painting’s title, which brought a tear to her eye and caused her husband to laugh hysterically.

To see what the caption said, click here.

“He was right, that is 'Sum Dum' Glacier,” the husband said.

Miscommunication is a frequent visitor to our conversations. When something is offensive, seems unreasonable, or simply does not sound right it is important to immediately ask for clarification. Doing so will reduce the time spent in anger or disgust.

About the author:

Rick Weaver is a franchise owner and Executive Search Consultant with Patrice & Associates, one of America’s largest Staffing Specialist companies with over 175 offices across the United States. With 30 years of experience successfully placing managers at all levels of an organization, Patrice & Associates sets the Gold Standard of recruiting. Rick has personally worked with thousands of managers and management teams to strengthen their results.