1
00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,680
Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

2
00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:15,480
Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

3
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,280
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to remember that you work with people,

4
00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:26,599
Speaker 1: not email addresses or job descriptions. Remembering that will help

5
00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,400
Speaker 1: create more pleasant environments and you'll get things done more

6
00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:36,120
Speaker 1: smoothly too. It's easy to forget that almost every interaction

7
00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:41,080
Speaker 1: involves another person. This is particularly true for one time

8
00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,960
Speaker 1: interactions and when we're interacting remotely with people we've never

9
00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:49,360
Speaker 1: met in real life. When you call about your refrigerator delivery,

10
00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:51,479
Speaker 1: you just want to know when you need to be

11
00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,200
Speaker 1: home for the delivery and how much longer you'll be

12
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,600
Speaker 1: eating takeout. When you email the I T helped us

13
00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,279
Speaker 1: get your workplace, you just want to see of your

14
00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,960
Speaker 1: printer problem. But sometimes you get a little bit more

15
00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,120
Speaker 1: than you are expecting. You may find out that the

16
00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,280
Speaker 1: appliance delivery scheduler is covering for a colleague and that

17
00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,640
Speaker 1: she just bought the same model refrigerator that you're having delivered.

18
00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:16,880
Speaker 1: Sometimes it's unclear what you're supposed to do with all this,

19
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,119
Speaker 1: though it's probably preferable to the situation of getting no response.

20
00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,039
Speaker 1: You call the help desk and no one is there,

21
00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,840
Speaker 1: and so you're frustrated because I T is supposed to

22
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:32,240
Speaker 1: help you do your job. If we're not careful, these

23
00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,760
Speaker 1: interactions can lead to us being rude, but that's usually

24
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,560
Speaker 1: not helpful. What is helpful is recognizing that we work

25
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,280
Speaker 1: with people. Almost everything eventually has a human being on

26
00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,560
Speaker 1: the other end, no matter how much people try to

27
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,520
Speaker 1: automate things. By remembering this, we can at least be

28
00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,440
Speaker 1: in a better mindset about these interactions. There are a

29
00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,800
Speaker 1: few approaches that can help. First, pay attention to people's names.

30
00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,559
Speaker 1: You are often calling a person, and that person has

31
00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,920
Speaker 1: a name. It's not the main office at Anna's school,

32
00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,720
Speaker 1: it's Missus Watson. The receptionist Wayne, who manages mail and

33
00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,320
Speaker 1: deliveries in your building, is the one who needs to

34
00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,200
Speaker 1: let you know right away when the messenger delivers the document.

35
00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,120
Speaker 1: So it's Waine you need to talk to about it,

36
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,120
Speaker 1: not the anonymous mail room. When we think of people

37
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,400
Speaker 1: by name instead of by roll, we subtly shift from

38
00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,240
Speaker 1: an entirely transactional perspective what are they doing for me?

39
00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,200
Speaker 1: To a more relational perspective. Because it turns out that

40
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,960
Speaker 1: Missus Watson and Waine, and even dispatch over the refrigerator

41
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,120
Speaker 1: place if you don't know her name. All have real lives.

42
00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,760
Speaker 1: They have as much drama and joy in their lives

43
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,840
Speaker 1: as anyone else, So learning a little bit about anyone

44
00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,919
Speaker 1: you interact with repeatedly can make any interaction more pleasant

45
00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,840
Speaker 1: and probably more productive. You might know that one person

46
00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,640
Speaker 1: is thrilled that her first grand baby is due next month,

47
00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:09,600
Speaker 1: and another person is fascinated by astronomy. Asking or commenting

48
00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,840
Speaker 1: on one little tidbit they care about can create a

49
00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,240
Speaker 1: moment of connection, even for one off interactions or what

50
00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,040
Speaker 1: you think will be a one off interaction. There is

51
00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,160
Speaker 1: no downside to remembering that you're dealing with an individual human.

52
00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,720
Speaker 1: Spend the moment marveling that the person scheduling your refrigerator

53
00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,960
Speaker 1: delivery is getting the same fridge as you. How wonderful.

54
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,080
Speaker 1: There's a human reason for this. I mean, you just

55
00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,400
Speaker 1: made someone feel seen and heard. But there is also

56
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:42,400
Speaker 1: a practical reason. Your fridge delivery may wind up earlier

57
00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:44,800
Speaker 1: in the day's run of show, and if you need

58
00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,440
Speaker 1: to call back about a problem, it is more likely

59
00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,720
Speaker 1: to get addressed. Lately, I have gotten a surprising number

60
00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,440
Speaker 1: of human beings responding to those info at email addresses.

61
00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,280
Speaker 1: It is helpful to remember that unless the business is

62
00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:04,560
Speaker 1: so huge that they have figured out perfect automation, info

63
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:09,600
Speaker 1: is somebody. Even if I'm annoyed about a problem with

64
00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,200
Speaker 1: a product, it is not really the personal fault of

65
00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,520
Speaker 1: Terry who answers the info emails. I wouldn't scream at

66
00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,760
Speaker 1: Terry's face in real life, so it's best not to

67
00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,559
Speaker 1: send an email that does the equivalent to the human

68
00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,400
Speaker 1: being on the other end. And there is always the

69
00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,279
Speaker 1: chance that Terry might be more helpful with a customer

70
00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,720
Speaker 1: who doesn't come across as a terrible person. We don't

71
00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:37,720
Speaker 1: work with job descriptions or help desks or email addresses.

72
00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,760
Speaker 1: We work with people. Remembering that can create connection and

73
00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:48,880
Speaker 1: even the most mundane of moments in the meantime, This

74
00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:53,080
Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the

75
00:04:53,120 --> 00:05:03,440
Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear

76
00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,240
Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

77
00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,120
Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

78
00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:15,000
Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E the

79
00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:19,320
Speaker 1: number four then Breakfast p O D. You can also

80
00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,719
Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcasts at i

81
00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,840
Speaker 1: heeart media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out

82
00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,600
Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward

83
00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:36,800
Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of

84
00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,200
Speaker 1: I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,

85
00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,200
Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

86
00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:45,560
Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.