Donald Tusk arrived at the Presidential Palace right on time for his scheduled meeting with President Karol Nawrocki, although he had to wait a moment for his host. Those few long moments were clearly uncomfortable for the head of government. This was pointed out by his coalition colleague, Anna Maria Żukowska.
Tusk’s 1.5-minute wait in the Lech Kaczyński White Hall of the Presidential Palace, under the portrait of the late Prof. Lech Kaczyński, was hardly an affront to the prime minister. Karol Nawrocki, in line with the custom observed in the highest office, was most likely informed that Donald Tusk had arrived on time for the meeting and came down from his office.
For about 90 seconds, Tusk smiled nervously at camera operators, making unusual gestures. A Lewica (Left, Lew.) MP prepared a short guide for the prime minister.
“I try not to refer too often to my role as spokesperson, but this situation is just begging for a PR comment from the sociotechnical side” – begins Anna Maria Żukowska.
“Between the two evils, I recommend a tactical delay […] rather than pacing in circles, nervously glancing at the watch, even though it’s behind you and shows one minute past noon, scratching your chin, smacking your lips, fiddling with the tip of your tie, or rubbing the back of your ear” – she advises the prime minister.
“So what should you do when you have to wait, and you are being closely observed? How to wait like a sigma and with style?” – she asks rhetorically and offers a few tips:
- Do not look at your watch (well, unless half an hour has passed);
- If there are works of art in the room – paintings, sculptures – you can let your gaze rest on them for a moment. That’s part of their purpose: to briefly occupy the guest’s attention and time;
- Sit yourself down comfortably on available furniture, adjusting it to yourself if possible – for example, slightly shifting it, changing the angle in relation to cameras or the table. Those who wait standing are coachmen and footmen in livery. Guests sit;
- Tilt slightly a flower arrangement or a milk jug – this and the previous strategy (perhaps not all at once) show that you feel at ease in the space and are symbolically taking possession of it;
- Smile at the camera;
- Sit up straight and do not fidget with your hands. Try to control your facial expressions and not show nervousness, but also not boredom. When the host arrives, stand up without haste, but with a smile and a slight sense of leisure. Do not focus on fixing your clothes after changing position (you’ll be unbuttoning that jacket button again in a moment!), but on looking your host straight in the face.