No speeding

“Safety always first, speed second sir” is the answer I got when I asked our always smiling driver in Sri Lanka what the speed limit was. I must admit my question was a gentle nudge to get him to speed up a bit. A few hours later, at a toll gate, a police officer pulled us over to the side of the road. “License please…”

As we sat in the car and watched the drama unfold, I learnt an important lesson. Our driver was being accused of over speeding. This calm smiling man transformed into a lion. With arms waving and much finger pointing first one then two policemen met their match. Standing firm in the knowledge that he had never gone above 90 km per hour (the speed limit being 100) our driver stood his ground. For 20 minutes they tried to fine him for over speeding and then they finally relented. He had the courage and conviction to defend himself that came from years of honouring the rules of the road.

I was reflecting on this incident and realised that it was his clear and unwavering commitment to respecting the speed limit that helped him when confronted by the police. If he had even for one small stretch gone above 100, he is likely to have paid the fine. There is no little lie or small cheat. Values are black and white, not grey. Some things in life need to be honoured and respected in totality. There are no compromises.

In client servicing with the focus on always keeping the client happy, it is very easy to cross the speed limit occasionally. Our driver could have, in his desire to oblige us, sped up a bit and gone against his better judgment.

In the reputation management business, when the rubber meets the road, being mindful of the ethics of the professional practice of public relations will always hold us in good stead. Doing the right thing may not always buy you immediate client satisfaction but it will protect your reputation in the long run, and that is guaranteed to build client delight. Having the courage and conviction to offer the right counsel is priceless and it’s what separates the true professionals from the pretenders. A good time to remind myself and others of my tribe that strong values and good counsel, not speed at any cost, will eventually be the faster route to success.

While the speeding ticket from the police is the focus of this particular experience, our driver adhered to all the rules of the road. No overtaking on a solid line, no turning on a double line, these are best practices that few drivers actually practice. He followed them at every twist and turn of the road. This discipline and professionalism he displayed are rooted in his attitude toward his professional responsibilities.

As I refresh my learning on coaching best practices as part of my study for the PCC accreditation, I am reminded of the importance of staying true to the 8 core competencies and 62 sub-competencies outlined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). They lay out the knowledge, skills, and attitude one should bring to the coaching profession.

Knowing what is right, and having the skill to follow through on the knowledge is important. But the moment of truth lies in applying the competencies while navigating the twists and turns of a coaching conversation. This is finally guided by a value system and an attitude that shapes one actual usage of the skill and knowledge, and the ability to connect the dots, which all together makes for a great professional. Your attitude can determine your altitude (or speed in this case) as the oft-used quote reminds us.


The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.

Nikhil Dey
Nikhil Dey is Executive Director, Adfactors PR.

A trusted coaching and communications professional, Nikhil Dey is a certified life and leadership coach (International Coach Federation - ICF). Nurturing talent and helping clients achieve their goals is what makes him happy. He loves learning from students of communication, teaching courses and guest lecturing at various educational institutions. When he is not working you will find him on the tennis court or out for long walks with his family and four legged friends.

Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Weber Shandwick and Genesis BCW.

He can be reached on twitter @deydreaming

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