What a Delayed Flight Taught Me About Communication

I was on a flight headed to Ski REIA to go snowboarding with Lisa, Thomas, Bill Cook, and a group of real estate friends.

Before I boarded I had lined up three phone calls for the moment I landed. My plan was to knock them out fast and be fully present for the week.

We were on the runway, ready to go, when the pilot came on the intercom.

"We have a maintenance issue and need to return to the gate. It's a minor issue but we want to get it repaired. This is exactly why flying is the safest mode of transportation."

I missed one of my calls. They understood.

But I couldn't stop thinking about what that pilot just did.

🎤 What the Pilot Got Right

He didn't just deliver bad news. He sold us on why the delay was good for us.

He explained what was happening, why it was happening, and then immediately connected it to something we cared about, our safety.

A lesser communicator would have just said "we have a delay." Full stop. Frustrated passengers. Tense cabin.

Instead I sat there actually grateful for the delay. Because he framed it that way.

The delivery of information can be more important than the information itself.

How Are You Delivering Unfortunate News?

That question hit me hard on that runway.

When I have to deliver news someone doesn't want to hear, am I just throwing it at them? Or am I taking the time to frame it in a way that makes it land better?

In real estate investing, in business, in life we deliver uncomfortable news all the time. A deal that fell through. A repair that needs to happen. A boundary that needs to be set.

The words you choose and the order you put them in changes how people receive what you're saying.

💡 What Jimmy Napier Taught Me

One of my mentors, Jimmy Napier, taught me something I still use today.

All good news comes from me. All bad news comes from someone else.

Here's what that looks like in practice.

When a resident asks for special treatment I don't say no. I say:

"I'd love to help but the government won't let me. Fair housing laws require me to treat everyone equally, so I can't make exceptions on your rent."

The answer is still no. But now I'm not the bad guy. The law is. And that's the truth, it just took intentional framing to deliver it that way.

The relationship stays intact. The boundary holds. Everyone moves forward.

Study Communication Like It's a Skill 📚

Because it is.

The better you communicate, the better your relationships. The better your relationships, the better your business. The better your business, the better your life.

That pilot didn't stumble into that announcement. Someone taught him how to frame a delay. He practiced it. He understood that a plane full of calm passengers is better for everyone.

You can learn that too. For your residents. Your partners. Your family.

I want to hear from you.

What's your go to communication tip?

Adrian's Takeaway

👉 How you say it matters as much as what you say. Study communication like your business depends on it. Because it does.