Have you ever been caught in a moment that made you think “How in the world did I get here?” Sometimes these moments come from a place of thankfulness, while others come from a place of awkwardness. We experience the effects of cultural shifts every day. Sometimes these cultural changes are great, they lead to advancements in communication and growth in relationships. Other times they just lead to awkwardness. Some things that were normal when I was a young man are now outdated and unpracticed in our society. This often lands me in some uncomfortable situations. Part of growing as a person and as a leader is being aware of cultural shifts and adapting to new standards of what is normal. The process of growing in this way can be pretty funny. The awkward situations we find ourselves in can sometimes make us feel as though we are adapting to life in a new city. The best way through situations like this is to laugh them off. Here are a few examples of the awkward situations we find ourselves in.
- Opening the door for someone only to have them go through a different door. This one always makes me laugh. When I was growing up, holding the door for others was not a suggestion, it was an imperative. Today, however, holding the door for someone else is rare. So rare, apparently, that people avoid it all together!
- Meeting someone over the phone. Should I say “Nice to meet you” at the end of the conversation? It doesn’t feel like we’ve really met since it wasn’t in person. But then again, I don’t do any of my coaching in person anymore; all of it is done electronically. Culture has changed, opening the door for relationships built through technology.
- Autocorrect. Do I even need to elaborate on this one? Sometimes you just want to respond “haha” to a text message, but instead end up sending “gaga.” Am I a baby or just a huge fan of Lady Gaga? Hopefully the person receiving my text knows that neither of those are the case. Proofreading before sending has become the savior of my conversations.
- Speaking in text. Have you ever told someone a joke and they responded by chuckling and saying “LOL”? I have and it’s always weird. You wouldn’t expect to have someone use the acronyms in a real conversation that they use in texting conversations, but it happens all the time! All you can really do is laugh.
- The handshake dilemma. Should you go for the fist bump, the high five, or the classic handshake? This one is tough because if you hesitate too much, the other person might try to give you a high five when you’re going for the fist bump. You’re just trying to say hello but you end up punching them in the hand. The awkward chuckles afterwards are the best part.
