Launching Smoothly: The Power of Working Your Network

It's 9:15 am. I've just navigated through bumper-to-bumper traffic to get to Boston Logan Airport on time for my 10:30 am departing flight. I breeze through TSA Pre-Check in what I'm sure is a new personal record of less than five minutes. As I walk up to the Starbucks mobile app order pickup, I hear my name being called. Smiling, I casually work my way through the crowd to arrive at my gate. I spot an open seat steps away from where I'll board. I have a plan and system in place, so traveling doesn't stress me out. My inner circle can't stand me because I make traveling look too easy. This brings me to why I had time to write this article.

So, I'm snuggled into my seat with 20 minutes to spare when I hear a man's voice cut through the sea of white noise on the intercom that I later identified as Tom: "Passengers traveling to Dallas/Fort Worth... Just a quick update: Our plane IS here, but we are waiting for our in-flight staff to arrive."

Okay Tom, so are you telling me we have a plane but no people? I chuckled because the information he was relaying felt a little... disconnected. What Tom was saying made some kind of sense. I appreciated Tom's update, but I felt like he was setting us up for a failure to launch.

Although I'll only be delayed an hour at best, this comedic series of announcements left me thinking about launch strategies.

• First announcement: "Passengers... Our plane, which was scheduled to arrive from JFK, has not taken off yet. Sooo... we'll either wait for this plane to arrive, or we'll figure out if there's another plane available."
• Second announcement: "Hello passengers... just a quick update: our plane HAS taken off and will arrive at 10:30, so there will be a little bit of delay, but that's the fastest way for us to get there."
• Third announcement: "Hey passengers, just another update. Our plane IS here, but we are waiting for our in-flight staff to arrive. They are arriving from JFK, and we'll keep you updated on their arrival." (This is the point where it starts getting comical.)
• Fourth announcement: "Another update passengers, our in-flight crew is at the Rhode Island/Massachusetts border. I don't know what gate they arrive at, but they have to come to THIS gate as soon as they get here! We apologize for the delay and will keep you posted."
• Fifth announcement: "Our in-flight crew has just landed and will be making their way to us very soon. We are sorry for the delay... just a little humor to start your day!" Moments later, "All My Exes Live in Texas" starts streaming through the intercom speakers. I couldn't help laughing out loud. He cut in to invite us to do a two-step on the "dance floor" in front of the desk. No one took the bait, but this guy gets it GREAT! Instead of not caring, he took time to make us laugh. And those who get it, got it.

As Tom's announcements unfolded, I started thinking about how wound up we get when we are trying to launch a new offer to our awaiting audience. We want it to take off! But the truth is, sometimes the people we need on the plane just aren't there yet. So how do we get them on board?

I was on a connection call with a solopreneur who hates traditional launch strategies. Oh, I get it. Launches take so much time, effort, and energy, and the truth is, if the right people aren't on board, this plane ain't taking off! So if you're not a fan of failed launch strategies, keep reading as I connect the dots.

While my plane's failure to launch is temporary, it's what is happening behind the scenes that is the secret to how we get the right people on board (besides me, your favorite Monday morning co-pilot). It's all about THE NETWORK. While our dynamic desk attendant was easing anxious passengers, he was also tapping into the JetBlue network to figure out how to get the right people on board...fast. Within a few calls, we went from worrying whether this thing would ever take off to laughing and brushing off a few bumps along the destination.

So as you prepare for your next launch, whether it's an event, a program, or a product, who can you call upon in your existing network of connections to find out how to get the right people on board quickly so you can launch with laughter instead of searching for a new plane to fly?

To sum this up: the in-flight crew just walked past me as I smiled. Looks like it's time for take-off. Final announcement: Airborne in five minutes! My final question: Are you frustrated with failed launch strategies? Maybe it's time to work your network when you experience a failure to launch!

P.S. I thanked Tom for his comedic timing as I boarded the plane. The lesson here is to stay calm, cool, and connected to your people...even under pressure!