Director Says He’s Finally Delegating, Then Stands Three Feet Away From Person He Delegated To | FFFW 283
We have reached the end of May! This means Summer is officially here in just a couple of days.
“But, no! Summer doesn’t begin until June 21st…” – You (hypothetically)
Yeah, sure if you wanna base your life on space, science, and cycles.
If you wanna base your life on real stuff, you gotta agree that summer kicks of June 1st at the latest. I’m talking about school being out, vacations being planned, baseball being is full swing, and a daily craving for a DQ Blizzard.
Trust me- you don’t need to wait until June 21st for all of that. The fruit of summer is ripe now- eat it up!
Fifth-Gen Funeral Director Claims His Great-Grandfather Got Better Internet at Pleasant View Cemetery
Tip #9 – Prepare for That Thing You Can’t Control
Surrounded by rolling hills and mature maples, Pleasant View Cemetery is an oasis of peace. Five miles outside of town, it is the quiet final resting place of some of the area’s most notable citizens. But internet access at Pleasant View has always been hit and miss — and mostly miss.
When funeral director Mark Benson arrived with the family that morning, he opened DirectorView™ on his phone, checked the available upload speed, and knew what to do next.
Showing an upload speed of less than 8 Mbps, the app confirmed what Mark suspected: his connection at Pleasant View would be too slow to livestream.
A few years back, this would have caused a catastrophe. Especially with loved ones waiting online. A sister in Phoenix. A nephew in Vancouver. And a group of old friends at the retirement residence who planned to watch together.
But Mark was ready.
Days before, he had already explained to the family:
“I’ll be able to test the internet signal when we arrive. If it’s strong enough, we’ll livestream. If it isn’t, I’ll record everything offline and upload the recording as soon as we’re back at the funeral home.”
Mark informed the family and calmly switched his DirectorView™ app to Offline Recording. He also sent a quick message to Foveo’s DirectorCare™ team, who posted a Guest Advisory to let registered guests know the service was being recorded and would be available as soon as it was uploaded.
The ceremony proceeded as planned, and it was beautiful.
The video from Mark’s mobile camera was steady and sharp.
His wireless mics captured every word with clarity.
It was a perfect moment — during which the internet no longer mattered.
Walking back to their cars, Mark reassured the family.
“We recorded everything, and I’ll upload it for everyone as soon as we get back.”
Back in his office, Mark reopened DirectorView™, tapped on the recording, and then tapped upload.
That was it.
The recording posted directly to the obituary page for the family and registered guests to watch.
With DirectorView™ in hand, Mark had exactly what he needed that day to execute a reliable fallback plan.
There was no panic.
No wrestling with technology.
No awkward uncertainty.
No one was left wondering what had happened.
And no one called the funeral home for answers.
The Lesson:
Livestreaming relies on layers of technology to work. When something beyond your control fails or falters, don’t let that spoil everything else you’ve done to help the family honor their loved one.
Even when the internet disappears, a family’s faith in you doesn’t have to disappear with it.
> See how Foveo helps you prepare for the unexpected — and serve with greater confidence.
Director Says He’s Finally Delegating, Then Stands Three Feet Away From Person He Delegated To
Millbrook, Indiana — After years of being told he “does too much himself,” funeral director Alan Pressley announced Monday that he was finally going to start delegating.
The staff was excited for him.
Then he delegated the first task and remained close enough to read the screen reflection in Linda’s glasses.
“I want you to own this,” Alan said, hovering beside her desk as she scheduled a family meeting. “Pretend I’m not even here.”
Linda said that was difficult, because Alan was standing where the trash can usually goes.
According to staff, Alan has made several bold attempts at delegation this week, including letting an apprentice update the chapel sign, allowing Pam to approve a flower delivery, and giving Trevor permission to call a family back without him on speakerphone.
In each case, Alan stood nearby silently, nodding, blinking hard, and occasionally whispering, “Good. Good. Maybe say it warmer.”
“I’m not micromanaging,” Alan later explained. “I’m just making myself available in a leadership-adjacent radius.”
Staff say progress is happening, slowly.
On Wednesday, Alan allowed Linda to send an email without reading it first.
He did, however, ask her to print it afterward so he could “celebrate the win privately.”
At press time, Alan had officially delegated the closing checklist, then sat in his car facing the building with the headlights off.
Ask the Funeral Dude!
Question:
Hey Funeral Dude, is there a dignified way to tell a coworker their “quick question” has never once been quick? -Mr.Trapped
Answer:
Mr. Trapped,
No.
The phrase “quick question” is one of the most dangerous phrases in the funeral profession.
It sounds harmless. It sounds friendly. It sounds like something you can answer while walking.
You cannot.
A quick question is never a question. It is a hallway ambush with backstory. It begins with “real quick” and ends with you standing by the copier 23 minutes later, learning about a cousin’s flower preference from 1998.
Here’s what you do.
When they say “quick question,” smile, look at your watch, and say, “Wonderful, I have quick-answer energy today.”
Then keep walking.
That’s not rude.
That’s dignity with forward momentum.
GIF OF THE WEEK
LET’S HAVE A GREAT SUMMER
