WEBVTT - I'm currently available

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is that when you are scheduling things, communicate when

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<v Speaker 1>you are currently available and when that might change. That way,

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<v Speaker 1>you aren't stuck holding more time than you need to

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<v Speaker 1>or no longer available when someone finally confirms so. I

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<v Speaker 1>have always found it a bit unfortunate when people request

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<v Speaker 1>lots of slots of availability as an please list the

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<v Speaker 1>times you are available next week. I mean, what is

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<v Speaker 1>one supposed to do with that? If it's a meeting

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<v Speaker 1>with your most important client, I mean, of course you

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<v Speaker 1>want to give them options. Same befo're talking about a

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<v Speaker 1>job interview, had a place where you are dying to work.

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<v Speaker 1>But for most run of the mill stuff, giving people

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<v Speaker 1>half a dozen multi hour options and then having them

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<v Speaker 1>not come back to you immediately is going to result

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<v Speaker 1>in schedule chaos. That's because schedules are dynamic. If someone

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<v Speaker 1>asks today, you may be available any morning next week,

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<v Speaker 1>but three days from now you will probably not be

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<v Speaker 1>available any morning next week. Things will come up plenty

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<v Speaker 1>of work meetings, of course, or even your need to

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<v Speaker 1>schedule a follow up dentist appointment. If the person who

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<v Speaker 1>asked for your availability doesn't confirm for three days, you

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<v Speaker 1>are going to have a problem. So instead it might

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<v Speaker 1>help to indicate that your availability windows won't last forever.

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<v Speaker 1>I am currently available Tuesday evening anytime and Wednesday evening

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<v Speaker 1>between six and eight. I am also in the process

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<v Speaker 1>of scheduling a few other things, so I'll need to

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<v Speaker 1>know in the next day if we are going to

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<v Speaker 1>confirm for one of those times, or you could just

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<v Speaker 1>indicate but my availability may change quickly as I'm trying

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<v Speaker 1>to schedule some other things too. That way, the person

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<v Speaker 1>you are scheduling with will hopefully go ahead and confirm

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<v Speaker 1>a time, or will at least not be surprised if

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<v Speaker 1>your schedule changes if they delay. You can communicate this

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<v Speaker 1>with scheduling apps too. If a doodle pole or similar

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<v Speaker 1>tool is collecting availability and the organizer gives you a deadline,

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<v Speaker 1>you may want to wait until close to that deadline

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<v Speaker 1>to reply so you can provide the most up to

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<v Speaker 1>date availability. That way, you won't have to go back

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<v Speaker 1>and rework things if your answer changes. On the other hand,

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<v Speaker 1>if you are the one requesting availability using doodle or

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<v Speaker 1>in an email. Consider requesting availability with a quick deadline,

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<v Speaker 1>for instance, by clothes of business tomorrow, please provide your availability.

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<v Speaker 1>Then you can be equally polite by indicating when you

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<v Speaker 1>will announce the time. This should follow swiftly, as in

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<v Speaker 1>tomorrow by six pm, I will confirm the meeting time.

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<v Speaker 1>This benefits everyone by letting you determine a mutually acceptable

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<v Speaker 1>time before everyone's schedule changes. They promise to let you

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<v Speaker 1>know their current availability at five pm or so, and

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<v Speaker 1>they will only have to wait or hold the time

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<v Speaker 1>for an hour to know when you are all confirmed.

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<v Speaker 1>I would note that if all these scheduling logistics give

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<v Speaker 1>you headaches, you also might want to provide a little

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<v Speaker 1>less availability. Some people use calendly type software, and I

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<v Speaker 1>am always intrigued by people who literally offer like four

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<v Speaker 1>spots for an entire month. Okay, but that does mean

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<v Speaker 1>that they are not forced to give a lot of availability.

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<v Speaker 1>If someone emails you and asks when you are available,

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<v Speaker 1>you might just offer two options or three options, ideally

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<v Speaker 1>ones that you are mostly okay with not scheduling over

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<v Speaker 1>in the next day or two. But you are under

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<v Speaker 1>no obligation to hold multiple slots forever. As you wait

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<v Speaker 1>for confirmation. Just let people know this is when you

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<v Speaker 1>are currently available and hopefully they will act fast. In

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<v Speaker 1>the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's

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<v Speaker 1>to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening

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<v Speaker 1>to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,

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<v Speaker 1>you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts

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<v Speaker 1>from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

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<v Speaker 1>wherever you listen to your favorite shows.