Stop Tailgating & Brake Checking at Work
Imagine you’re driving down the road in the passing lane, already exceeding the speed limit, when you see somebody following very close. The tailgater’s message is clear: “I need to get somewhere and I need to get there quicker than you are going”. Some people in this situation might “brake check” the tailgater – they slam on their breaks to send their own message. The brake checker’s message is equally strong: “Watch out! If you follow too close, you may cause an accident and it will be clearly your fault.”
Does this sound familiar to disagreements at the office? Two people are working on a project and it appears both are trying to get to the same destination. Yet one person demands greater risks for quicker results. This happens a lot, especially in organizations where near-term results and quarterly goals are prioritized over sustainability. As a result, employees are often competing for who can get the job done quicker and not necessarily who gets there with the best balance of risk and reward. Both the Brake Checker and the Tailgater have better options to serve their company. » Read more: Project Tailgaters & Brake Checkers
In Boston, my commute was 90 minutes a day, in the car. In New York, it was 3 hours, each day on the train and walking across midtown Manhattan. Now in Michigan, I still spend 2 hours a day in the car. You might say I am proficient at commuting. With this proficiency comes many solutions for maximizing productivity during the commute. Here’s what I find helps and recommend to fellow commuters: