By Steve Adubato, PhD
Tennis great Andre Agassi gave a powerful and moving speech last Sunday after bowing out at the U.S. Open. Agassi offered his emotional farewell after playing 21 straight years at the U.S. Open thereby creating a powerful bond with tennis fans and many casual observers. But as the Star-Ledger’s David Waldstein noted in his September 4 article, “A Kiss Goodbye,” Agassi who was known and criticized early on in his career for his “image is everything” motto “actually spent the past seven years proving that substance is what matters most.”
Beyond substance, it was the personal and human side of Agassi that moved those who were there in person and a million watching on television. Interestingly Agassi’s much-publicized farewell speech lasted barely a minute, but as he said, “I think I’ve prepared for that speech for 21 years.”
Said Agassi; “The scoreboard said I lost today but what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what I have found. Over the past 21 years I have found loyalty…and I have found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach my dreams…I have found you and I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life. Thank you.”
It wasn’t just Agassi’s words; it was his genuine emotion pouring out in his tears. He spoke from his heart and people responded. Interestingly, a CBS reporter had planned to interview Agassi after he lost his match, but seizing the moment Agassi politely took the microphone and spoke directly to his audience. He “owned the room,” as most great communicators do. He understood the significance of the situation. It’s what a dying Lou Gehrig did at his Yankee stadium retirement. (“I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.”) It’s what George Bush did with a bullhorn at Ground Zero a few days after 9/11. Bottom line, it’s what sets these individuals apart. Some questions.
Q: But doesn’t the “moment make the man (or woman)”? Wasn’t it the emotion and drama of these situations that made the speeches so memorable?
A: Of course. However, it’s about the communicator seizing the moment. Many miss it or don’t feel it. After Hurricane Katrina with hundreds of thousands of American’s suffering in the Gulf Coast, then FEMA head Michael Brown appeared not to understand that he needed to communicate with passion and compassion but chose to over explain and deflect blame. He missed the moment.
Q: How does this relate to everyday organizational life in business?
A: Think about it. There are situations and circumstances that often arise in organizations. They involve people. They involve powerful emotions and require a keen sensitivity and awareness of what it means to truly connect. Yet, many managers don’t see or feel it. They communicate by some pre-conceived notion of what “corporate policy” or “standard operating procedures” require. But that won’t cut it. Sometimes there is no textbook or set of guidelines by which to communicate. Rather, it requires the ability to empathize and understand what people want and need from their leader.
Q: Last week, you said great communicators often work from a bulleted outline, yet Andre Agassi had no written outline. What do you do if you are thrust into a situation with no written outline?
A: In these rare but important circumstances, ask yourself a few critical questions. What is the significance of a particular moment and what does my audience want and need from me? What do I want them to take away? What do I want them to feel? And, ultimately, what do I really feel in this moment. Andre Agassi told us how he felt and gave his audience what they wanted and needed. That’s what great communicators do.