Make them listen to your announcement

I am writing this on my flight from Shanghai to Singapore to attend a TTT course. Before the take-off, there was a safety demonstration as usual. One of my previous posts ‘Things you should know but you do not pay attention to….’ came to my mind. I looked around and checked the rough proportion of people who were watching the demonstration. Oops… only 3 out of the some 20 in my sight. So, again it is so true that if people do not even care to listen to things critical to their live, why would they listen to your presentation?

And on that note, let me share with you a related and interesting story mentioned by the recent book I read ‘Make it Stick’. In the chapter of ‘Unexpectedness’, the book mentioned something done by a flight attendent called Karen Wood during her safety announcement:

If I could have your attention for a few moments, we sure would love to point out these safety features. If you haven’t been in an automobile since 1965, the proper way to fasten your seat belt is to slide the flat end into the buckle. To unfasten, lift up on the buckle and it will release.

And as the song goes, there might be fifty ways to leave your lover, but there are only six ways to leave this aircraft: two forward exit doors, two over-wing removable window exits, and two aft exit doors. The location of each exit is clearly marked with signs over-head, as well as red and white disco lights along the floor of the aisle.

The book is full of lively examples like this……. Do worth your time to read!!