Thirteen years since the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games!
Canadians from coast to coast to coast rightly have fond memories and a great sense of pride about the 21st Winter Olympics. Canadian athletes ranked #1 on the gold medal count and created many stories that will feed our national narrative for generations - Tessa and Scott, John Montgomery, the men’s hockey gold medal game, just to name a few!
Serving as Director of Communications for the Minister of Sport, Gary Lunn during these Games, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my professional career. And, a few professional (and personal) lessons were learned during those few weeks!
A quick study
I had always thought of myself as being a quick study, but joining Minister Lunn’s political team a mere nine weeks before the start of the Games was a real test. We can combine the two metaphors of “drinking from the firehose” and “being thrown in the deep end” and come up with something about being in the deep end trying to drink from a firehose!
I was not only new to the portfolio, but was new to government communications in general. Minister Lunn had recruited me from my job at the Vancouver-based think tank The Fraser Institute, and I packed a few things and headed out to Ottawa in the first week of December.
Thankfully I was surrounded by fantastic people, in the Minister’s office and the Harper government generally, in Sport Canada, and on the Canadian Olympic Committee. My colleagues were prepared to help me succeed in this important role as part of the overall success of the Games.
Now, one of my favourite parts of my consulting practice is to dive deep into my client’s subject matter areas. They need me to grasp the concepts quickly, understand the nuance, and communicate it out in plain language that the average person can understand. I still draw upon the skills I used then: be humble, as I knew nothing and those around me knew everything; ask questions even if you think they’re stupid; and speak up when you don’t understand.
Better to ask a silly question and get things straight, than going out and communicating incorrectly on a topic.
Stick to your file
One of the first lessons I learned on the job was to identify what was and wasn’t my Minister’s responsibility. While it’s tempting to want to comment on everything that comes across your desk, it’s important to stick to your area and direct reporters to those with other subject matter expertise and authority.
This strategy informs my practice to this day. While a spokesperson certainly has to be able to comment generally on her organization as a whole, she does not have to respond in detail to every enquiry - especially if she’s not 100% on the answer. It’s perfectly acceptable to provide a general response and direct media to the appropriate spokesperson to follow up.
Find some balance
I will not pretend that I had a great work/life balance during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games! In fact, much of it is a bit of a blur. I remember going through my expenses in the weeks that followed and finding that my memory was a bit hazy on some parts!
But, a few days in, I realized that the biggest party in the world was happening around me, in my (adopted) hometown, and I was missing it! So I did my best to carve out time for myself and my friends. While our official obligations went from early in the morning to late at night, there was a point where I could be legitimately off the clock, and I seized the opportunity. Even if I just watched one period of a hockey game with friends, I savoured every moment and the memories that we were creating together.
The last Sunday of the Games, of course was the men’s gold medal hockey game. My boss was involved in ceremonial activities, and would you believe that ministerial staff were not allowed! We did some media interviews in the morning, and then I delivered Minister Lunn to the venue. It was about 10 am. I went home to a houseful of friends, whipped up a brunch, watched the game, and then the group of us walked downtown over the Cambie Street bridge. Waving flags, singing, and enjoying the camaraderie of thousands of our friends and neighbours, we converged on Granville and Robson for a celebration worthy of these Games.
That Sunday afternoon will be one of my favourite memories for as long as I live. And I will always remember to enjoy the moment, even if work is unrelenting and there’s a lot on the line.
Life’s short. Enjoy every moment.
