JPFreek - Index

JPFreek - magazine - Index

3 . Speak up.
Communication is vital, yet the most difficult and
overlooked element in recovery and spotting situations.
If you are the selected “leader”, take command of the situation,
but don’t be bossy and egomaniacal. A good leader will
consider every opinion, and patiently explain why a suggestion
will or will not be employed in the situation. A good leader will
not let his or her personal ego get in the way of employing
others’ suggestions. A good leader will give clear and thorough
instructions.
If you are a participant, or just an onlooker, don’t be afraid to
speak up if you see something wrong or even that you think just
looks odd to you. It is common for someone to NOT speak up
when he believes that he doesn’t have as much experience as
others around him. But sometimes even a beginner’s point of
view illuminates a situation. I have had beginners point out an
effective line over an obstacle that I had never considered. As
mentioned above, a good leader will give respectful
explanations for his decisions.
Also on the side of “not speaking up”, there is also the tendency
among friends to approach a situation too casually, when in fact
it calls for the utmost precision and clarity. Often, it is because
they have reached a certain comfort level with each other’s skills
and don’t want to offend by questioning the other’s actions. I
have many stories of mishaps where some of the driver’s closest
friends stood by silently, thinking he knew what was going on,
and where the driver proceeded silently because he thought his
friends would surely speak up if something didn’t look just right.