SO, THE MAN whose job it is to tell everybody to turn their phones on silent or flight mode committed the ultimate sin in the Olympic Stadium yesterday: his phone rang.
Fortunately, Ireland captain Paul O’Connell was there to remind the Rugby World Cup media officer of the rules in a gentle, yet extremely authoritative, tone.
As a leadership lesson we can all take from this ugly (and extremely embarrassing) incident, here’s Paulie’s four short, sharp steps to laying down the law.
1. The head whip
POC doesn’t say a word, but his sudden jerk around to his right lets everyone know that there has been a severe breach of discipline.
2. Enjoy your vengeance
Don’t get mad and shout the odds about ‘oooh, you must have a very important phone call to take. How about you just put it on speakerphone and we’ll all say hello….’
Just smile and lull the culprit into a false sense of security before letting the hammer fall.
3. Speak softly and carry a big stick
“That’s a fine,” whispers the captain.
But the undertone is ‘DON’T LET ME CATCH YOU WITH AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE AGAIN’.
4. Let your command ring around the room, maybe give a finger tap for emphasis