In the past few weeks, we’ve talked about speeding, hopefully, you’ve grown some awareness of your own speed and tasks. This week we are looking at the purpose of indicators. Then relate indicators to communicating. Let’s find out what you are really trying to indicate.
What are indicators?
An indicator is a broad concept in accordance with the Merriam-Webster (2024) definition.
- Whereby a person could attempt to tell or indicate information or a measure,
- An instrument for mechanical or digital purposes to track a value or measure,
- An environmental condition.
- A substance or level of a measurement,
Even more indicators!
Further, Investopedia shares extra indicator types, such as:
- Economic Indicators
- Technical Indicators
- Chemical Indicators
- Biological Indicators
- Performance Indicators
While these are all good measures to indicate their specific fields, we are talking about the indicator on the car.
What is the function of the car indicator?
There are in fact over a hundred, yep that’s right! Different indicators on a car. Generally, you can find this information through your dashboard. Like you know that horrid beeping noise telling you something is not right with the car, like a seatbelt, or brake issue. Today we are only looking at the indicator when you turn on the blinker to tell others in the traffic where you want to go.
If you are interested in the other lights and icons from the dashboard, check out this link.
What is the Difference Between the Indicator and the Blinker?
In all fact, they are the same thing. Wikidiff breaks it down with a fun table, but at the end of the day both terms refer to the same notion. That is the yellow or amber flashing light on the left or right side of the car used to tell other drives you wish to move in the indicated direction.
Cars are for Indicating
What? Yes, cars are for indicating. A good and skilled driver, which we know you all must be as you follow this blog to move forwards 😊. Also uses a good indicator! Because using an indicator implies forward thinking and telling others of the direction you are headed, surely no one indicates to then move backwards, right?
That is why cars are driven to indicate. You drive so that you can be in the traffic with others and get to your destination safely by telling other drivers where you are going. You cannot yell or give hand signals to your fellow drivers. Although some hand signals get thrown about occasionally, that is not an effective way of telling the car behind or adjacent to you which direction you are headed. What about traveling in a convoy before GPS time? They did not rely on hand signals and yelling; they relied on the humble built-in technology known as the indicator.
The car gets you from A to B, but the car is made for indicating. In the same way you work for money; but you work with a team to promote the business. When you work with that team, it is crucial to know how to indicate your needs, wants and desires effectively.
Communication Indicators
While there are many communication indicators or measurements to use, in this case, we will refer to what we think are the top three:
- Active Listening
- Check-ins
- Empathetic Connecting
Active Listening Indicators
Often most people prefer to talk, and find listening is the harder skill. Well, have you ever heard the phrase, you should practice more of your weaknesses? In regard to listening check out this quote:
“The words listen and silent share the same letters.”
Alfred Brendel
Active listening means placing yourself on mute along with all your distracting thoughts and potential interruptions or relatable moments and listening.
Think back to the indicator. It turns on to indicate and as other cars listen (drivers become aware) you get to move into the next lane. The other cars need to be actively using the road to realize you are about to come in front of them. This indicator is a way to communicate effectively, just like check-ins.
Indicate Effectively with Check-ins
While you are sitting there listening with your thoughts, distractions, and relatables turned off, there are moments you can talk. BUT at the right time. This is why everything you are doing is active and intentional. You may want clarity about what was said. Psychologist and communicators often call this paraphrasing with a question.
Examples of Check-ins
- Oh, my goodness, do you mean the other car didn’t check its blind spot and crashed into your side?
- Sorry, did you mean you waited, and no one saw you?
- I didn’t quite catch that last sentence, could you repeat it?
Driving and noticing check-ins
When you are driving and see another car has its indicator on, you have already checked in. Did you see how fast that was? When their indicator goes on, to check with you if it is okay to come into your lane because they are in front of you, you then see the flashing amber light immediately. Then provide space for them. In the same way you notice the check-in, have the other person in front of you or beside you, and you provide space for them, these are all measures of empathetic connection.
Empathetic Connection
This is a term coined together here on Move Fwds, to mean a way to connect using the broad concepts and uses of empathy. Thing is, we will all communicate slightly different, and better to some and less to others. That is why there are so many articles and books and educational resources available. Some resonate with other people better.
Types of Empathy
Shout out to Verywell Mind who mapped out the empathy types ahead of time. The list below shows the types or ways we can show empathy.
- Affective Empathy: Your ability to understand the other person’s emotions and respond to them in an effective way.
- Somatic Empathy: Your ability to feel what the other person is saying quite literally. You may feel their hurt in your stomach, or feel affected in the area they spoke of like their knee or appendix.
- Cognitive Empathy: Your ability to understand the other person’s mental state around the topic.
Verywell Mind shares how compassion and sympathy are not actually types of empathy. For compassion and sympathy are responses to the hurt others have revealed and are therefore passive reactions. Whereas empathy is always active.
Active Empathy Indicates Active Driving
Driving can only be done properly when you are alive, that means active. And to effectively allow the indicating car to come into your lane, you need to apply empathetic connection. You may not ‘feel’ like allowing yet another car to come in front of you, but you know it’s the right thing to do. So let them in. Surely, you’ve been in their tyres before?
Move Fwd and Indicate Well
Where to from here? Well, we covered a lot, and we learnt the importance of indicators. Now I’ll admit to getting lazy with indicating from time to time, so too with communicating. But is something we (myself included) should all be doing.
Where are some opportunities this week for you to indicate great communication?
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