How many times have you been bothered or worried about something and you thought, “Speak up.” But you’re afraid of being judged, aggressive, or hurting someone’s feelings?
Now more than ever, it’s critical that you know how to speak up when you need to.
And, here’s a way to practice in a low risk situation. Ride sharing, like when you get a Lyft, or an Uber, or Carma.
Recently I was taking a Lyft to a meeting downtown. I got into the car and said, “Hello” to Steve, my driver. He said, “Hi, Tracy. Good to meet you.”
We exchanged small talk but every time he spoke, he turned around and looked at me. Maybe he thought it’s polite to make eye contact, but I was nervous. So, I said, “Steve, I prefer that you look straight ahead, at the road when you’re driving. Please don’t feel like you need to look at me when you talk.” He said, “Oh, ok.” Then, we kept talking. And it wasn’t awkward.
Another time, when I took a Lyft, I wanted my driver to know right away that I didn’t want to talk because I had work to do. So, I said, “Hi Julie. I’m getting ready to give a presentation, so I’ll be reviewing my notes while you drive.” She said, “Great. I’ll do my best to get you there safely.”
Simple boundary requests.
For the next 30 days, practice speaking up in low stakes situations, like ride sharing.
Chances are, you’ll never see those drivers again, which means your delivery or choice of words, doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s Practice. And if you’re direct and polite and your paths do cross again, those drivers will likely remember you. . .as confident!