WEBVTT - Check in on the easy ones

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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 if you are managing a lot of people,

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<v Speaker 1>or for that matter, raising multiple kids, be sure to

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<v Speaker 1>check in with and think about the easy ones. Just

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<v Speaker 1>because things are going fine doesn't mean they couldn't go better.

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<v Speaker 1>So I have five kids, and at any given point,

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<v Speaker 1>one or two of them can be way more challenging

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<v Speaker 1>than the others. Now, it varies who the challenging kid

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<v Speaker 1>or situation might be, but any particular crisis can consume

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<v Speaker 1>a ton of energy. So if everything seems to be

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<v Speaker 1>going all right for another kid, good great aids, no

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<v Speaker 1>real complaints, it can be tempting to just feel grateful

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<v Speaker 1>I can let that chunk of parenting go on autopilot.

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<v Speaker 1>But just because someone is doing okay doesn't mean they

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<v Speaker 1>don't benefit from engagement with someone who is looking out

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<v Speaker 1>for their interests. Even if a kid is being pretty easy,

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<v Speaker 1>that doesn't mean he or she wouldn't like to think

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<v Speaker 1>about doing different activities, or that he or she has

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<v Speaker 1>some ideas for summer camps or would like to host

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<v Speaker 1>a more elaborate friend get together, or could even use

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<v Speaker 1>some new books from the library. So as I think

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<v Speaker 1>about my relationship priorities for each week, I think about

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<v Speaker 1>what is going on in each kid's life and what

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<v Speaker 1>might be worth discussing. Similarly, anyone who is managing a

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<v Speaker 1>crew of employees knows that some are more low maintenance

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<v Speaker 1>than others. Sometimes people are underperforming, which you definitely have

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<v Speaker 1>to manage, but sometimes people are constantly asking for new

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<v Speaker 1>things or suggesting new ideas, all of which can be great,

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<v Speaker 1>but also fits into the squeaky wheel getting the grease category.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't necessarily think as much about the employees who

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<v Speaker 1>quietly but competently do their jobs, so best to nudge

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<v Speaker 1>yourself to think about them. Is there anything else the

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<v Speaker 1>person could take on? Where do you see him or

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<v Speaker 1>her in a year? Where do they see themselves? Are

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<v Speaker 1>they happy? What would they like to spend an hour

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<v Speaker 1>or two more per week doing? Are there things they

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<v Speaker 1>would like to do less of? Now? I am not

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<v Speaker 1>saying this has to translate into specif weekly meeting times,

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<v Speaker 1>though I do know a lot of managers swear by these,

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<v Speaker 1>But either way, it is worth checking in with the

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<v Speaker 1>quiet ones occasionally. Certainly things can take a turn for

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<v Speaker 1>the worse. An employee you thought was happy might walk

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<v Speaker 1>out the door suddenly. It's good to know if you

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<v Speaker 1>could have stopped it. But even without that, quietly competent

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<v Speaker 1>folks deserve to have someone thinking about their career trajectories

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<v Speaker 1>and their happiness too. Just like the low maintenance kids

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<v Speaker 1>also deserve attention. Wise management means looking beyond the squeaky

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<v Speaker 1>wheel to make sure everything is well greased. That's how

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<v Speaker 1>we move beyond managing crises and toward getting more done.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for

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<v Speaker 1>listening 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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