Truman & Quixote

One of my favorite observations about President Harry Truman came from General George Marshall when he said Truman was one of the few people he knew who looked at things and saw what was there rather what he wanted to see. I was reminded of that the other day when I began reading the classic, "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes. The main character, of course, has become one of fiction's most famous icons because, in part, of his being very much unlike Truman. This is a big part of Quixote's charm - if I may use that word - as it gives his quest to right all wrongs a matchless romantic flare and makes him all the more endearing as a result. It has always struck me that the perfect communicator would be the one who combines Truman's iron grip on what is real with Quixote's ability to combat all real and unreal dragons and see the world in a way where life is all sunshine and no storms. I like to think that we all have the ability to be like Truman and Quixote: realists as well as dreamers. The question in my mind, however, is do we have the ability or discipline to carry on in a manner where the two qualities co-exist within us? Can we view and face communication challenges with both passion and dispassion? Show me the communicator who does that with some level of regularity and I will be very impressed. (It will also help if he or she can write a good press release.) The day-to-day challenge of all professional communicators who to properly balance what they actually see with what they hope to see. This is not always as easy as it may sound, particlarly if they have a client whose vision may not always be steeped in reality. In such circumstances, it is the communicator's job to be the "bad guy" or "party pooper" and tell the big boss things he or she may not want to hear. Good luck witht that. Roadsides are filled with communicators whose attempt to do that were met with vengence be an unhappy boss. Nevertheless, this does not mean communicators should stop fulfilling that function. Alas, it part of their job.