Yesterday I did a seminar.
At the end I had thought I had wrapped it up quite nicely, I asked if there were any final questions, then handed out the feedback forms. While they filled out the feedback forms I started to tidy the room a little, getting things in order to facilitate my post-workshop strike of the room.
I was cleaning the white board when I turned around and saw that most of the people had finished filling out the feedback forms and were quietly sitting in their seats … looking at me … expectantly.
It only occurred to me then that despite my doing all of the “end of a workshop” stuff I hadn’t actually said ‘we are done you can go’.
Either I had a really polite group that day or it’s a tribute to my command over the audience that they were waiting so patiently for me to actually tell them to go.
Either way, as soon as I gave them permission, they were up and out in a flash.
I had to laugh.
Until tomorrow remember: sometimes the power you have over people is greater than you think – so be careful what you say, they may be hanging on your every word.