It's not what you say... but how you say it!

This is a little true story from many years ago now, when I was the deputy engineer at a hundred bed private hospital located somewhere in Greater London. The hospital newly built had just been open a few weeks, and there were as yet no patients to worry about. Everywhere, was the initial chaos of getting ready for opening day, cleaners battled with building dust, new staff found their way around or got lost, while stores and equipment of all types streamed in via every entrance and exit. Of course, as so often happens there were still many contractors present… finishing off various work left over from the original construction period. It was with one of these visiting contractors that our story begins… this chap turns up one morning and parks his little van close the main entrance, ostensibly because he had much to unload. The problem was this parking area was marked up for: ‘consultants and senior staff only’ and worse still the hospital director had seen this ‘disrespectful man’ park, and was awaiting him in the foyer. What took place next was reported to me by the receptionist who was an unfortunate eyewitness to the whole episode: apparently immediately on stepping through the doors the man was addressed in an authoritative tone, and told in no uncertain terms to move his van at once. Alas, this direct approach did not seem to have the desired result, in fact the contractor quickly took offence, and he became very uncooperative to say the least refusing point-blank to move anything. It was at this juncture that the director suddenly and inexplicably, threw his briefcase to the ground, and ‘danced’ upon it and around it… in impotent rage. What the contractor thought of this display I’m at a loss to know, for apparently, he ignored the demonstration and quietly carried on, though wearing a wry smile. It was at this point I got involved, on orders from the director via the receptionist. My instructions were simply: ‘get that man… to move’ and after hearing the story it was with some tribulation that I made my way to reception… thinking all the way, where was the chief engineer when you wanted him! On entering the foyer, which was now empty I spotted through the glass doors the ‘offending’ contractor busy unloading his van. Here was my chance to engage with him without a crowd around to watch me fail. So, walking up friendly like, I broke the ice with, ‘hello mate, been bit of a set- to here I’ve heard?’ ‘Could say that’ was his not unfriendly reply… and before he could say anymore more, I merely suggested that perhaps he could move his van one row down, once of course he had finished unloading. His respond was a surprising affirmative, ‘yea of course… no problem’, and so he did! On returning to the workshop buoyed up by my success I met another of the maintenance team, Ted, who had been a soldier during the second world war; on describing the directors strange behaviour, Ted just smiled and seemed unsurprised, just stating, ‘he was an army officer wasn’t he… well that’s the first time he’s come across a man who refused to obey him… it hits them hard!’ Perhaps Ted was right, although it was never confirmed. Nonetheless I always felt that if the original request to move, had been worded more as a polite reminder not to park there…then the whole event would have never occurred.