1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: tip is to designate fix it times to improve operations 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: and reduce wasted time and frustration at work and at home. 5 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: This tip comes from Kim Scott's book Radical Candor. This 6 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: book teaches readers how to be a great boss who, 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: as she puts it, cares personally about our team and 8 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: also challenges them directly. There are lots of helpful management tips, 9 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,919 Speaker 1: but even if you're not leading a group, you can 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: use some of her ideas to make things better both 11 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: at work and at home. Designating a fix it time 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: is one of these ideas. Scott explains that engineering organizations 13 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: often have fix it weeks, which she calls the equivalent 14 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: of spring cleaning. As she explas, everyone will stop working 15 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: on new features for a week and fix bugs in 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: the current product. She contrasts fix it weeks with hack weeks, 17 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 1: when the focus is on developing new ideas. Fix it 18 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: weeks provide a chance to fix old and annoying problems 19 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: that have been bothering people for months. If you're like me, 20 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: you can probably think of all kinds of bugs at 21 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: work and at home that you'd love to eliminate. Maybe 22 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: you want to set up your printer to scan directly 23 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: to email so that you don't need to plug a 24 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: flash drive into your printer every time you want to 25 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: turn a paper document into a PDF. Maybe you want 26 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: to create a launch pad by your back door at 27 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: home so you can stop feeling frazzled every morning as 28 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,919 Speaker 1: you're looking for your keys or umbrella. Maybe that towel 29 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: rack in your bathroom is threatening to come loose from 30 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: the wall and don't get me started on random burned 31 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: out lights, or that you find yourself typing the same 32 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: answers over and over again to people who request a 33 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: certain document. Keep a list of these bugs, things that 34 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: consume time, drain your energy, or cause frustration. This could 35 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: be a document on your computer, a page in a 36 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: bullet journal, or just a list stuck to your fridge 37 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: anywhere that's convenient to see. If you lead a team, 38 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: ask your colleagues to keep a running list of bugs. 39 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: Ask your home team, that is, the people who live 40 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: with you or come to your house regularly, to keep 41 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: a list of bugs as well. Then designate periodic fix 42 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: at times. Ideally times when you don't have too many 43 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: other constraints. Maybe you're off for a holiday but your 44 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: kids aren't. That could be a great time to eliminate 45 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: some bugs at home. Or you could choose a friday 46 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: at work that you've intentionally kept clear to deal with 47 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: these problems. Yes, you could keep putting these things off. 48 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: There's no real harm caused by having to use the 49 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: memory stick on your printer, but it will also feel 50 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: really good to cross them off and not be bothered 51 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: by them ever. Again. Although Scott talks about annual fix 52 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: it weeks, you can experiment with the duration and frequency 53 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: of fix it times that work for you, your team, and 54 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: your family. One day per quarter might be a good 55 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: starting point. In any case, it's easy to underestimate how 56 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: much time we lose to the bugs in our life 57 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: and how much frustration we needlessly experience. Fix It times 58 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: can help us reclaim wasted time and energy, which we 59 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: can then use to progress toward our goals. Are there 60 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: bugs at work or at home that are annoying you? 61 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: If you try a fix it time, I'd love to 62 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: hear how it goes. You can reach me at Before 63 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com in the meantime. This 64 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making the 65 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 66 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 67 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 68 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: and Instagram at BUA for Breakfast pod, that's b E 69 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: the number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can 70 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at 71 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled out with 72 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I look forward 73 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. 74 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 75 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.