1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to learn about the hopes and dreams 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: of the people who work with you or who otherwise 5 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: spend a lot of time with you. This way, you 6 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: can help them build the skills needed to achieve those dreams. 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: This tip, like one from last week, comes from Kim 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: Scott's book Radical Candor. This book teaches readers how to 9 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: be a great boss. She asserts that a great boss 10 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: is a person who is radically candid, caring for and 11 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: challenging his or her team. Part of caring and challenging 12 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: means helping people grow. And while Scott's tips are mostly 13 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: aimed at managers, you can actually have similar conversations with 14 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: all sorts of people in your life. Your colleagues, your friends, 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: your adult chill dren. You can learn how to be 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: of service while learning a lot about these people. Scott 17 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: recommends that managers have a series of career conversations with 18 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: each of their direct reports. The first career conversation focuses 19 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: on the person's life story, the second on her dreams, 20 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: and the third on her eighteen month plan. The life 21 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: story conversation is relatively straightforward. This is one you're hopefully 22 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: having anyway as you get to know a person through 23 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: informal chats. Where does the person come from? What forces 24 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: shaped his or her life. We've all been forged in 25 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: various crucibles, and it's hard to understand a person without 26 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: appreciating this. The dreams conversation is a little more unexpected. 27 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: Managers often sit down to talk about the next six 28 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: months or so, and the general idea is that there's 29 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: one path the person is focused on, but a dreams 30 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: conversation can be more open ended. Scott suggests starting with 31 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: the question what do you want the pinnacle of your 32 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: career to look like? You can then ask your team 33 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: member to share several different dreams for the future. It's 34 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: important here to keep asking questions rather than judging. Dreams 35 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: that seem outlandish can be great for understanding motivations. Once 36 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: your team member has identified three to five dreams, ask 37 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: her to list the skills needed for one or more 38 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: of the dreams. Then you can reflect on which of 39 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: these skills she has and what she needs to acquire 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: or developed. Further, Scott proposes that your role as a 41 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: manager is to help think through how your employee can 42 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: acquire those skills. What training or educational opportunities are available 43 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: in your organization or in your community. What projects can 44 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: this employee work on to build specific skills. Can you 45 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: introduce her to people in your organization or beyond who 46 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: can serve as mentors or resource this. I like Scott's 47 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: approach because these sorts of deep conversations really help you 48 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,839 Speaker 1: get to know a person and what motivates them. It's 49 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: easy to assume that your direct reports dreams are the 50 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: same as yours when you are in that position, but 51 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: that's not always the case. If you're having these conversations 52 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: with friends or adult children, you can likewise learn to 53 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: help serve them in the ways that matter most to them. 54 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: And I also think this approach is especially good for 55 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: managers because, let's face it, people have all sorts of 56 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: different opportunities and career paths outside your organization. By talking 57 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: about dreams and paths to get there, you position your 58 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: organization as a resource for your employee to pursue her dreams. 59 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: You're not just a detour on the way to the 60 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,119 Speaker 1: larger goal. If you can identify ways that your organization 61 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: can help your team members build the skills they each want. 62 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: Then you're providing them with an additional source of value 63 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: in their jobs. It's about professional growth and not just 64 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: a paycheck, and that makes people more likely to stay 65 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: in their jobs. So what do you know about your 66 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: team members dreams? How are you supporting them as they 67 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: pursue those dreams? Drop me a line and let me 68 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:20,119 Speaker 1: know at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com. 69 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 70 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey everybody, 71 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 72 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 73 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 74 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: that's B the number four then Breakfast p o D. 75 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 76 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast 77 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 78 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 79 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 80 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 81 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H