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What Queen Elizabeth Taught Me
1. Planning and preparation are the key to success of any event or project. For the Queen's three-day visit we started planning six months in advance. We researched previous visits by the Queen, studied her biography, asked about dietary preferences and restrictions, and tried to learn as much as possible in advance. We prepared numerous versions of draft itineraries, had rehearsals, advance visits and walk-throughs. Every detail was discussed, every menu tasted, and every invitation list was carefully reviewed. We tried to anticipate what might go wrong and prepared for those scenarios too.
Today I often see business leaders overlook or leave planning for the last minute. That's when problems arise, so dedicate an appropriate amount of time to planning for meetings, visits by major clients, trips, sales calls and trade shows. Use technology to your advantage as you prepare. Even the Queen now has a Blackberry that she received as a gift during a visit to the Canadian headquarters of Research in Motion.
2. Communication with the key players is essential. I and my protocol colleagues worked with the consulate general, the embassy, the State Department's Office of Protocol, the U.S. Secret Service, the Houston Police Department, representatives from each of the sites on the Queen's itinerary including: Ellington Airfield, NASA Johnson Space Center, and Antioch Baptist Church as well as parade organizers, caterers, hotel staff, florists and many others.There were countless meetings, phone calls, and questions. We coordinated with our colleagues in the other Texas cities to ensure that we wouldn't serve the same menus, give four cowboy hats as gifts and ensure that each city highlighted its own unique strengths and flavor.
When you begin a new project or event it's important to identify who are the key people involved. Get their contact information: office, cell and home phone numbers, e-mail, physical and mailing addresses. You'll need all three addresses for communication, meetings and thank you notes. Prepare a cheat sheet for the organizing team with emergency numbers. Determine how often you will communicate and how. Communication should become more frequent as the event or project nears.
3. Use the royal "We." When the Queen speaks she uses the majestic plural, the royal "we" used by individuals holding a high office such as a monarch or pope. For different reasons it's a good example for anyone in business. Give credit to those who contribute to the project, do the advance work and make things happen. In business there are few things that you accomplish entirely alone so use "We" not "I" when discussing the project and who helped make it possible.
4. Keep calm and carry on. This is by far the greatest lesson I learned. Things will go wrong--you'll learn you don't have the Queen's favorite beverage at midnight before the big luncheon. (We got it in time.) How you conduct yourself and handle a crisis will have a significant role on the outcome. Few people have faith that all will be fine when their leader is flustered and in panic mode.
As I've watched the Jubilee coverage and people being interviewed a common thread has emerged. When
her citizens see the Queen they get a sense of calm and continuity, of stability and comfort and they know that all is right with their world-a valuable lesson for all of us. To learn more about the Queen and the Diamond Jubilee visit www.royalgov.uk the official website of the British monarchy.
The Protocol Lady
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