Flight Canceled

The scene is a typical big-city airport. More than 100 passengers are awaiting their call to board Flight 107, which is already running half an hour behind schedule. Finally, the ticket agent - let's call her Sally - announces the flight has been cancelled due to mechanical difficulties. She thanks the passengers for their patience and asks them to step forward to discuss alternative arrangements. Collective anger sweeps the line of frustrated travellers, whose best-laid plans have suddenly been thrown into disarray.

John's heart sinks. He'd been planning an evening's worth of hard work upon reaching his destination. He has to prepare for an important presentation the following morning, and Flight 107 is the last direct connection of the day. This is disaster in capital letters.

The man immediately in front of him in line - let's call him Sam - is in a rage. When he reaches the ticket counter, he appears to be out of control, cursing loudly and threatening legal action against the airline. "DO you know who I am?" he cries. "I'm the director of sales for Diversified Widgets International!"(Because this is a true story, we've disguised the true name of the well-known Fortune 500 company.) "I've got to close a deal that's been in the works for six months. You have no idea how much it'll cost me to miss this flight. And you're going to pay for it! You and your damn fool airline! I'll never fly with you again! You're incompetent and I'm going to report you, and I'll see that you're demoted if it's the last thing I do!" With that, he turns on his heel and stalks away, muttering further imprecations over his shoulder.

John's position is no less difficult than Sam's. He's traveling for the not entirely welcome purpose of meeting at nine o'clock the next morning with the top managers from his largest account. They want him to justify the cost of his services, because they've received a lower competing bid. If he's not on time - which by the looks of things he won't be - they may interpret his absence as a sign that he no longer values their business. If he loses their business, his annual bonus and perhaps his job will soon be under scrutiny. John had planned on making the final changes to his presentation software in the privacy of his hotel room that evening. Now he has no hotel at all, and tomorrow's early flight won't get him there in time.

This scenario could easily be a recipe for panic. But John knows he must somehow keep his cool. John spends a minute or so analyzing his predicament, always aware of how he's feeling. He tells himself to remain calm. There has to be a solution, if only he keeps his head. He can't quite stem his anxiety, but he pays attention to and understands the depressing and uncomfortable thoughts that creep in from the edges of his consciousness. 

When he reaches the ticket counter, he's prepared. "It must be hard for you to have to deal with people like that." he says to Sally.

"You have no idea," she replies - but her half-smile shows that she thinks he just might.

John smiles back. "The airline's got problems and people think it's your fault? It doesn't make sense to blame you. Really, I feel bad for what you have to put up with."

By this time, Sally is regaining both a wider smile and her confidence. "It comes with the job," she says. "now, how can I help you?"

John briefly explains his plight, and manages to convey how appreciative he’d be if there were anything she could do. He says he’d be willing to take a camel if it could get him to his presentation on time.

Sally manages a laugh, and turns to her keyboard. After what seems like an eternity, she comes up with a route which will take john 1,000 miles out of his way – but that, with a change of plane, will get him to his hotel room by midnight. He thanks her profusely and adds that he’ll be writing a letter of commendation to the airline.

The result? John gets to his destination, a little bit jet-lagged but more or less prepared, because he puts his time aboard the alternative flights to good use. Sam, however, is hung out to dry, forced to scramble in order to find a hotel near the airport, where he broods on the fact that he won’t make his appointment and shouts at the person who delivers his room service order.

Why do we like to tell this story? Because the two men’s experiences cover almost every component of emotional intelligence, from self-awareness and empathy to impulse control and optimism. Note that their respective success and failure had virtually nothing to do with IQ or rank or position. John’s adventures had a happy ending in large part because he made good use of his people skills, whereas Sam failed because he had no people skills to speak of.

Source: Stein, Steven J., PH.D. and E. Book, M.D., "The EQ Edge, the third edition",2011
picture Source: http://www.resortpropertyrealty.com/mammoth-lakes-a-stress-free-lifestyle/