The Unspoken
As I am binge watching Mad Men for the second time, I noticed a different appreciation for the show this time around.
The appreciation of the amazing use of subtle communication.
The show carries a subtlety between each interaction and its characters.
I now see it everywhere.
How the characters interact, in their work, and in their culture.
The subtlety is present in their diplomacy, romances, family affairs, and business relationships.
It’s amazing how much is communicated in so little words.
The way Don Draper makes a glance at an attractive woman or the way Pete Campbell makes a face of disgust when hearing bad news.
It’s all there right in front of us without any need to say a word.
A perfect example is when Don’s daughter Sally comes into the office.
Don gets busy and asks Joan to watch Sally while he works. Sally ends up alone and drinks a glass of whiskey.
A couple of scenes later Don and Joan find Sally sleeping on a couch. When Don picks Sally up from the couch, an empty glass falls on the floor.
He then looks over to Joan and says something along the lines of “Thanks for keeping an eye on Sally.” with tongue in cheek tone.
It’s incredible. He didn’t have to say one word about what happened in that moment and all the feelings of contempt for the situation is expressed.
However, not everyone in the show can communicate this way. And this is why a man in Don’s position as they say “Gets the big bucks.”
When we communicate with subtlety it becomes a secret club between you and the person you are speaking with. They know it and you know it.
For Don, it comes across in his creative pitches.
When he pitches and people “get it”, they feel proud to understand the message. They feel the message is created solely for them and no one else.
The power in creating that feeling for someone is the reason great communicators rise to the top of companies.
They can inspire people to buy products, enthrall companies to make big business deals, or win over others into making important greetings.
It’s the type of communication that some people never get to master. It’s elusive.
So elusive, when Don creates an idea or a connection everyone stands mind blown.
They can’t fathom how he was able to come up with the idea.
So watching the show for the second time I noticed my ability to see these subtle moments clearer and with more abundance.
A sign to me that I’m crossing a threshold of communication into this club.
