When in Rome...Be Relatable!

Ah Rome – the city of gladiators and cheesemakers! Fun fact: did you know hundreds of cheesemakers were working in the Colosseum long after the age of gladiators was over? Let’s go dairy!!

During a recent trip to Italy with my family, we could not help but to utter the phrase “When in Rome...” many a time. Yet it wasn’t until I was back State side that I looked into the origin of this saying. Come to find out, the phrase's origin can be traced back to Saint Ambrose in the 4th century A.D. during the Roman Empire.

Many often forget to utter the second half of the phrase: When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do. This completes the meaning of the phrase that points to the importance of adapting oneself to the customs and practices of the place in which you find yourself. “Doing as they Do” can certainly be a form of respect and not trying to impose one’s ways onto others. Today’s reality is that Rome is full of tourists and regular folks living their lives with Wifi, so there is not a lot of assimilation to do – unless that means zipping through traffic on a motorbike.

How does this concept relate to communication and public relations? For me, this phrase goes back to my mantra of knowing your audience. Whether it be your employees, customers or other stakeholders, are you coming across in a way to which they can relate? My 30+ years of global communications work has taught me that HOW you say something can be more important than WHAT you say. Asking questions and seeking to understand can go a long way. Being relatable doesn’t mean you don’t share your insight or expertise; it just means that your audience feels respected.

The next time you are ready to interact with an important audience – think of Rome and be relatable!