Mark Jamieson Keep CALM and Listen.........
It was another sunrise in a new city in South East Asia and I was certainly getting around. I had been told to report to
the head office of a major insurance company in another country to meet their Chief Information Officer as a project
was in trouble.
I had caught a very early morning flight to take advantage of the time-zone difference and caught a taxi to their CBD
office to meet my contacts. They seemed nervous about the situation I was about to be in as we launched into the
CIO’s office for a 9 am meeting with very little understanding of the problem.
First signs were not promising. They escorted me to the top floor, took me to the office and stood diffidently outside.
Their CIO was on the phone talking quickly and angrily.
Something else was also not going right as he gestured to me to sit down and so I did. He kept on talking on the phone
in a very angry and agitated manner for the next ten minutes with no further acknowledgement of my presence.
“This is going to be interesting” I thought. There was nothing else I could do, so I just sat and waited. My mind was
neutral. Let’s deal with things as they are and not speculate.
He finally put down the phone, rose slowly to his feet, clutching his back and not really acknowledging me said, “My
back is killing me, I’m going in for an operation on Friday and just holding out until then.”
I nodded. I don’t think I smiled. I just understood that here was someone in immense physical pain and somehow, he
knew. He started walking slowly around the room, talking a bit to himself which carried on for five minutes. I just sat
there ... neutrally.
Then he suddenly came over to the low table where I was, grabbed a piece a paper and started drawing up a diagram.
“The trouble as I see it is this:” He then drew up a diagram of the stakeholders, who was a supporter, who wasn’t, then
circled one and said “The problem is, this guy is the customer, but he does not own the result. He’s just sitting back and
sniping. It’s politics. He’s got to have some skin in the game and he’s got to contribute some resources so we get his
requirements clear. His department has to show some ownership. I’ll talk to the CEO about it ... it’s the only way it’s
going to happen.”
Then he turned to me directly, and said “Thank you, thank you for being such a help. I am really grateful that I can go
have my operation knowing we can sort this out. I know you will have to do a report; I want you to stay here for the
next two weeks to get the details sorted. I’ll get the actions underway. Go and work with the team to get them on the
right track. But I am so pleased to clear this up.”
With this he shook my hand, and showed me the door. I swear, in the entire meeting, I said not a word. We use the
CALM approach with our clients and this is a great example:
Understand the real CAUSE of the problem.
Be AWARE of why it occurred.
LET GO of whatever is in the way.
Know how MOOD or emotion guides us.Sometimes it’s best to just keep CALM, listen and let things sort themselves out.
Mark Jamieson, MBA is a speaker, author, trainer and coach who helps
organisations attain clarity, insight and focus in their work. His newest book is
entitled, “It’s Just Your Thinking: from mindless busyness to mindful business.”
Based in Singapore, contact him at [email protected] or
http://www.twistedthinking.asia/CALM