Twice recently I missed the turn onto the street that leads to my house. I knew something wasn’t right.
(A little backstory: Phoenix roads are on a grid. North-South roads are numbered; the main ones are Streets on the east side and Avenues on the west. In between the main roads are smaller numbered ones – Lane or Place or Way. In my neighborhood, 62nd Place sits between 62nd Street and 63rd Street.)
My mistake: as I was about to turn onto 62nd Street as I’ve done hundreds of times, I quickly glanced at the street sign. It said 62nd Place. “That’s not where I turn,” I thought, so I went straight. But 62nd Street never materialized.
I didn’t think much of it until it happened again. I did some investigating, and sure enough, the sign at 62nd Street was a shiny new one that read, “62nd Place.”
Naturally there are takeaways for communications pros.
1. Above all else, get it right.
We’ve all been there hovering over the send button, about to blast something out to the world, worried there’s a mistake we haven’t found. Take a moment to double-check (or triple-check), or better yet, get a fresh set of eyes on it.
2. Details matter.
One could argue the name of the street is a big deal and not a detail, but it’s very easy to pay attention to the 62nd and look past the two letters that come after.
3. Trust your gut.
I knew I should have turned, regardless of the sign. If something doesn’t seem right, follow your instinct and check it out. Publishing incorrect information has both reputational cost and actual cost (such as printing two signs instead of one).
4. Avoid the confusion in the first place.
Don’t set yourself up for failure. Maybe having two similar things with nearly identical names right next to each other isn’t a good idea. If 62nd Place was named Elm Street, for example, I doubt the sign issue would ever happen.
On a shelf to my left is a copy of a book I recently edited. My job was to give my client the confidence to go to press knowing the copy was error-free. On one screen in front of me is a whitepaper I wrote for a different client, going through a final review after catching several mistakes made in layout.
At KBL Communications, whether I’m editing or writing, my clients trust that I will, above all else, get it right, that I’ll sweat the details and follow my gut to ensure quality and accuracy. I’m even trying to apply that to my driving as well.
(Alternate titles considered for this post:
“She Moves in Mysterious Waze”
“I Have Found What I’m Looking For”)