You’ve probably found yourself in a situation where you’re unable to avoid hearing someone’s cell phone conversation. He or she is simply speaking too loud and apparently doesn’t realize that the phone features a microphone and not a tin can and a piece of string.
I’ve been guilty of this offense as my voice tends to project and sometimes I forget that I don’t need to speak very loud for my phone to pick me up. While I’m sure all of my calls are extremely interesting to overhear, many others seem to have nothing interesting to share (Remember, no one ever complains about overhearing a juicy call).
In public, you may feel a bit awkward telling a stranger to mute him or herself. It’s the kind of conflict that you shy away from. Perhaps there’s a less aggressive way to solve the problem.
Once at the gym, I found myself in this situation. Did I mention that I was on a treadmill and was listening to music through headphones? Even with the completing audio, I could easily make out the cell phone conversation of a woman who was on nearby treadmill. She wasn’t directly next to me so she wouldn’t have heard a, “shush,” sent in her direction. I decided to try to use a different approach to the situation.
After I finished my workout, I walked over to the woman, who by then had ended her call. I leaned in and whispered, “We have something in common.”
She looked at me a bit puzzled and I added, “We both tend to talk a bit loudly on our cell phones. It’s always getting me in trouble.”
The lady then nodded with understanding. “Thanks for the tip,” she said.
Who knows whether my cell phone intervention will result in any permanent change for the women but I have noticed during subsequent visits to the gym, that she speaks a lot softer on the phone.
Sometimes a blunt approach to a problem is best. But other times, a more gentle touch may work better. By creating a situation where I admitted a shortcoming, I made it easier for someone to change.
This technique can work in a variety of situations. Try it out the next time when you feel like aggressively lashing out at someone. ?It might be better to put the old way of doing things on hold.
