You know when you’re driving and someone cuts you off? Yeah ? I’m sure it’s happened to each of us, and I don’t know one person who enjoys it when it’s done to them.
The frustrating thing is that it honestly could be so simply avoided if we all just made a few adjustments.
Same goes for miscommunication. A few adjustments and we can salvage mishaps or prevent them altogether. Here are some examples of what this can look like:
- Make space for people when you see that they’re trying to merge (i.e. have grace when you see that someone’s making an effort to connect with you – even if it’s a bit clumsy or last minute/”too late”)
- If you’re doing the merging, use your blinker (i.e. you already know where you’re going to be going, but not everyone is privy to that information, and we appreciate a heads up)
- Concentrate on the task at hand. Your main focus when you’re driving should be driving and not getting distracted by all manner of other things, like conversations, checking your phone, or changing music (i.e. when you’re talking with someone, be fully present in that conversation)
- Leave earlier to accommodate for traffic (i.e. be proactive in looking ahead at your journey and seeing what you can communicate in advance)
- You may need to miss your turn so you don’t put others, and yourself, at danger by pulling a last-minute merge (i.e. hold your tongue instead of saying something detrimental)
- Be open to taking an alternate route – this is applicable whether you missed a turn, or there’s construction, or perhaps an accident up ahead (i.e. it may be that the first approach to communicating what you were trying to say didn’t quite go as planned, so reapproach and try something different)
When you use your blinker, more often than not, it’s telling someone your plan (i.e. “I AM merging”). But there are occasions where it’s you asking permission (i.e. “I’d like to merge, will you please let me in?”), and it may not go exactly as you’d hoped.
Some people won’t let you in, and it could be for any number of reasons. It may be because:
–they truly didn’t see you
–they didn’t feel like they could do it safely in the time and space allotted
–they didn’t want to because at one point someone didn’t let them in and they’re still mad about it
Even if you do all of the above, there will be some people who won’t accommodate. Please don’t let that stop you from continuing to use your blinker ?
