Help them help you!

I'm compiling a list...

Cold plunging
Bunjee jumping after consuming a super-sized McValue Meal
Watching a(nother) Superhero movie ever again in my life.

👆 all things I'd rather do than be seated next to someone at the airport talking on their phone.

And yet... there I was. Two weeks ago. In Boston. Waiting to fly home and listening to EVERY. SINGLE. GOD-BLESSED. DETAIL about how, "Alex is just gonna have to make due with this timeline and Terri needs to turn the deck in today if we're gonna hit the deadline for this QBR."

It was riveting content. It was so very important. It was on (auditory) display for everyone at Gate B18.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN THESE SITUATIONS?

I don't usually do much except fume and death stare and allow it to ruin my mood. How lame.

But recently, a friend and colleague shared with me what she did...

I don't usually do much except fume and death stare and allow it to ruin my mood. How lame.

But recently, a friend and colleague shared with me what she did...

Some dude (we'll call him, "Chad.") was on his (SPEAKER!) phone at the gate. She was already annoyed. When they boarded he was sitting directly in front of her (of COURSE!) and he immediately smashed his seat back into her lap on a long flight with tight seats.

In addition to just being a reasonable human who would be bothered by that, she also had work to get done. So she channeled her best adulting self, decided to give Chad the benefit of the doubt, and enlisted his assistance in solving her problem.

"Excuse me," she said, politely tapping him on the shoulder.

"I'm having a little problem and I wonder if you'd be willing to help me out?"

"Sure." replied Chad. "How can I help?"

"I have to finish some work on my laptop and I can't open it with this seat pushed back. Would you mind putting it back up straight for a bit while I knock this out and when I'm done I'll let you know so you can recline it again?"

"Oh yeah, no problem." Chad said.

And then he did it. Just like that. Zero drama.

When she told him she was done he gently put his seat back--but not as far as before. They even exchanged business cards and might be doing some work together in the future. 😲

BALLER. MOVE.

Asking for someone's "help" as a means to get them to change behavior that's driving you insane is kind of a lovely tactic, if you ask me.

Will it work every time? No.

Will it work some of the time? Yes. And last time I checked some is better than none, so... you do the math.

We want to help people.

People want to help us.

Let's give each other the benefit of the doubt and help them help us.

It's worth a try. And it's a heckuva lot better than all of Terminal B sitting through Chad's plan for Q3 reports... or watching yet another iteration of Spiderman. #sorrynotsorry

I'll see you back here next month for more ideas on how we can all get on the same page... but let's not be strangers between now and then, mmmkay?

If you like these ideas and want to hear more, there's lots of free content on my Instagram and LinkedIn.

If you're looking for a speaker for an upcoming event, tell me about it here! 👇

I want Page to speak at an event

Meantime... thanks for working to get on the same page with the people in your life.

We're all in this together.

See you back here next month!

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