1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: tip is to be flexible on the details. You can 4 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: build a lot of goodwill even with fairly substantial expectations, 5 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: by being flexible on how people do things. We all 6 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: like a little autonomy in our lives, so allowing that 7 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: when you can, can make everything more palatable. So I 8 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: have five kids, which means I am constantly managing a crowd. 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: I do have certain requirements for my kids. For instance, 10 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: if you are home at dinner time, you are eating 11 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: with us and without any sort of device running at 12 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:58,959 Speaker 1: the same time. But beyond that, I'm pretty flexible. If 13 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: you don't like the food on offer, and you're polite 14 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: about it and old enough to prepare your own food, 15 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: you can go ahead and make yourself something else. If 16 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: you'd like to sit up at the counter instead of 17 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: at the table in the same room, that is okay. 18 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: No one has to stay for hours. The little kids 19 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: often get up and run away quite quickly, but we 20 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: are building the habit of eating together. The idea is there. 21 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: We are just flexible on the details. Same thing with 22 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 1: going to church. I generally do make my kids go 23 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: a few times a month during the school year, but 24 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: sweatpants are okay if you want. I am flexible on 25 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: the details. Perhaps you have expectations in your family or 26 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: at your workplace too. You expect people to bring in 27 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: a certain amount of business. You expect that customers will 28 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: be happy with your product or services. You expect managers 29 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: not to have people quitting left and right. It's good 30 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: to hold your people to these standards. But then the 31 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: more flexible you can be on the details, the more 32 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: loyalty you will probably engender. If people are getting their 33 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: work done, and a lot of that work can be 34 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: done virtually, there's no real reason that people can't work 35 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: from home when it makes sense for them. Demanding that 36 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: people swipe in a certain number of times per week 37 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: is going to create a lot of conflict that didn't 38 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: really need to happen. If a salesperson is bringing in 39 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: a lot of business but likes to start work a 40 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: little later some days because he's training for a triathlon, 41 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 1: there is no real reason to force him to log 42 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 1: in at nine am daily. For a great many things, 43 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: it is the outcomes that matter. When people can have 44 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: some choice and autonomy about the details. They feel more 45 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 1: in control of their lives. High expectations seem less burdensome, 46 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: which makes it more likely that they will be met. 47 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 48 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 49 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 50 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 51 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 52 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 53 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.