I’m guilty of it, many of you are too, and we do so to avoid an awkward situation.
Kuala Lumpa, 2013, my train the trainer workshop had ended and I was heading to the airport for my flight home. I’d decided before my trip to book a flight right after my workshop had finished but this did mean I was tight for time.
My friends told me that the train was the quickest route to the airport, about 1 hour and no traffic guaranteed, so I took a taxi to the station. The taxi, however, was susceptible to traffic and we hit it. Rush hour in Kuala Lumpa is not a place where traffic moves smoothly.
“Where are you going to from the station?” asked my driver.
“To the airport, I must get there quickly” I replied.
“I can take you there Sir, take 45 minutes, I know shortcuts”
“No thank you” I said, “the train will be fine”
A classic example of a knee jerk reaction. I don’t know why I said it, I just did, I guess it’s the way I’m wired. Your customers will also do it. Your coachee salespeople will also do it when you ask them “how did that call go?”
Thankfully my new taxi friend was a little more tenacious.
“The train station is through all this traffic, the airport is behind us, no traffic, take 45 minutes”
“Go on then” I said
Sure enough, 45 minutes later I was cruising through security, my stress levels had subsided and I swore to myself – beware the knee jerk reactions.
