1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: tip is to honor people's time. If you are in 4 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: charge of how other people spend their time, being a 5 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: good steward of this resource means spending your time making 6 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: sure that others don't waste theirs. I read a story 7 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: in the Wall Street Journal recently about how some companies 8 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: are responding to the labor shortage by really thinking through 9 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: how employees spend their time. If you have got a 10 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: five person team on a project, and you just can't 11 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: hire a sixth person, making sure that the existing five 12 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: people aren't wasting two hours a day on meaningless work 13 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: is there's one way to open up the equivalent space. 14 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: One company simply deleted thousands of meetings from people's calendars. 15 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: Others streamlined apps for submitting expenses, some made it easier 16 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: to log in. I am glad these companies are thinking 17 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: about these things, but I shudder to think how long 18 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: those thousands of easily canceled meetings were showing up on 19 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: people's calendars. The companies said it freed up over three 20 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: hundred thousand hours by doing that, but imagine what would 21 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: have happened if they hadn't been wasting that time in 22 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: the first place. Wasting employees' time is a terrible idea. 23 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: Even if people do have to be there eight hours 24 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: a day, they can get eight hours of real work done, 25 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: or they can get decidedly less work done. The former 26 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: sounds a lot better now. Of course, I understand that 27 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: from a managerial perspective, this is hard. Deciding what other 28 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: people will do with their time is work, and it 29 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: often feels like thankless, unnoticed work. And yet, while you 30 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: want to empower people to make their own decisions, you 31 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: do need to give some guidance because otherwise, since people 32 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: want you to believe that they are working hard, they 33 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: will show up in meetings even if they are not 34 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: absolutely necessary. People want you to believe they are thorough, 35 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: so they do extra research on topics that you didn't 36 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: really care about, but you didn't communicate that fact. People 37 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: want you to think they are dedicated to their jobs, 38 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: so they respond quickly to your emails, even if you 39 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: would have been fine with them batching tasks so they 40 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: could get more done. It is challenging, but it's also 41 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: just a matter of spending time on this just like 42 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: anything else, so make time for it. If you plan 43 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: your own weeks on Fridays, why not take a little 44 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: bit of time to check in with others about their 45 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: goals and your expectations too. These check ins don't have 46 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: to be formal thirty minute meetings with calendar invites. Just 47 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: call or pop by the person's desk and have a 48 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: quick chat. Be clear about what you care about and 49 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: what you don't so people don't waste time on the latter. 50 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: Give clear instructions so people don't waste time. Figuring out 51 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: what you meant to the best of your ability. Help 52 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: people establish what a good day or a good week 53 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: looks like so everyone can have the satisfaction of a 54 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: job well done. Ask people to tell you about inefficiencies 55 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: or anything that seems pointless. Sometimes these things have a 56 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: point that you can explain, but if they don't, then 57 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: maybe that is something to take care of. All of 58 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: this goes for our personal lives too. Those of us 59 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: who have kids are often in charge of their time, 60 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: and they have even less ability to seek out other 61 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: places where their time is better honored than employees do. 62 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: Kids time is precious, so it is good to pay 63 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: attention to what interests them, which friends they truly like seeing, 64 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: and when they need space to explore. I think it 65 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: is also wise to avoid wasting their time when it 66 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: is possible not to. One of the reasons my family 67 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: has gotten extra driving help sometimes on weekends and afternoons 68 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: is so younger kids don't have to spend a beautiful 69 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: day stuck in the car driving bigger kids to activities. 70 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: It is a big responsibility to have authority over someone 71 00:04:55,279 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: else's time. Time is the ultimate non renewable resource, even 72 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: if you are paying someone for their time. Good stewardship 73 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: of a precious resource means not wasting time when you 74 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: can avoid it. So if you are in charge of 75 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: someone else, make sure they can feel efficient, effective, and 76 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: happy with their time too. It will likely help you 77 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: get more done, but I bet it will make life 78 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 1: more pleasant too. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 79 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 80 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:44,919 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 81 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 82 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 83 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: That's b E. The number four. Then Breakfast pod. You 84 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: can also shoot me an e at Before Breakfast Podcasts 85 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled out 86 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: with all the letters, thanks so much. Should I look 87 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 88 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 89 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.