The Open Line
Real stories. Honest questions. For people ready to use their voice for good.
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It was a dark and stormy night
(no really, it was!)
My husband and I were sitting in our car facing the most haunted house in America. Sheets of rain on our windshield distorted the deep porch and gabled roof. Lightning strobed the spooky scene. We could feel the thunder in our seats.
The tour was starting in 10 minutes. Just enough time to pray to St. Michael to protect us against all evil.
So how did we end up 500 miles from home now second-guessing every decision we made to get here?
It all started with a conference. The southeastern advertising federation chapters were meeting up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and as a board member of my local chapter, I was offered the opportunity to attend.
I was ready to jump on that opportunity - I love cajun food and I love old architecture (shout out to my Mom, preservationist extraordinaire!). But could I convince my husband to go with me? Doing the trip together seemed like fun to me, but I could already hear his concerns: too long in the car, what would he do while I was in the conference, who would look after the dogs and horses.
This would take some work - he’s not easily convinced. Just because I thought it would be fun didn’t make it so. I could list out all the reasons Louisiana would be a cool experience (there are so many!) but I listed all the reasons HE would love Louisiana.
He enjoys history, loves cajun food, big fan of fishing.
But then I latched on to something he loves: the paranormal. Ghost hunting shows were just becoming a thing at that time and he was so into them. We watched dozens of duds waiting for that one show where they would capture something unexplainable on camera.
Well, Baton Rouge is a mere 30 minutes from one of the most haunted houses in America. If he really wanted to experience paranormal activity in person, this was the opportunity.
And given all the history in that area, there would be other opportunities as well! So many antebellum properties had their own ghost stories it was actually going to be hard to fit them all in.
His interest in paranormal + my interest in architecture x (our interest in history + our love of cajun food) = one happy, but slightly nervous couple praying in their car before a ghost tour in Louisiana.
What if discovering aligned interests could open doors to more than just haunted houses?
The curiosity I leaned on for our Louisiana trip is exactly what’s missing in most workplace conversations.
As I work with people prepping for 2027, aligning interests is becoming a theme.
The project manager who was frustrated with a lack of cross departmental collaboration is now holding fewer meetings while gaining momentum. They were focusing so much on the corporate goals they had lost sight of what mattered to each department. Corporate KPIs are like candy for trick or treaters - every house has some - but those who have the candy we love are the ones we remember!
The marketing manager who came in after their 2027 campaign failed to get interest, is now stoked to have stakeholder approval. They had done a great job of appealing to the target audience for the product, we simply turned that skill toward the stakeholders: finding ways to resonate with THEM.
The soloprenuer who was worried about showing her quirky side is now talking to better prospects. She had worked hard to get to know her ideal client, but still found it scary for prospects to see this side of her. Yet by revealing her humor, she’s creating better connections earlier.
These people haven’t been changing their work to get approval. That would be compromising the very work they’re wanting to move forward.
They aren’t coddling or pandering either. That would be compromising their values.
What they are doing is discovering alignment. They know who they are, what they want and why this work is important. Then they’re getting curious about who the stakeholders are, what they want and why this work is important to THEM.
It’s at that intersection where work moves forward with enthusiasm on all sides.
No convincing, no compromising, no one feeling trapped in a haunted house; just alignment.
We had a blast on our tour of The Myrtles Plantation. I still remember the mirror that holds images beyond who’s in the room and the dining room’s huge windows as they told the story of terrible news delivered by a cloaked man on a galloping horse.
But what really sticks with me is how much we both loved the trip. Decades later and my husband still talks about a particular old house down there and the random Cajun who taught us a better way to eat crawfish.
It’s amazing how finding alignment gets us farther (and further!) than convincing ever could.
