1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:09,319 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,159 Speaker 1: tip is that if you work with other people and 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: work on projects whose parts depend on everyone else doing 5 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: their part, be explicit and intentional about how you will 6 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: pass work from one person to another. A lot of 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: missed deadlines could be hit despite the unexpected happening if 8 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: people could be a little bit more clear about passing 9 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: the baton. So I always like watching track and field 10 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:51,279 Speaker 1: during the Summer Olympics, and I am particularly fascinated by 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: relay races. Passing a baton from one person to another 12 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: seems like it would be straightforward, and yet these race 13 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: pros have it incredibly well choreographed. At a set place, 14 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: the second runner starts running in parallel to match the 15 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: speed of the first, and their hand movements have been 16 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:15,759 Speaker 1: practiced endlessly, so no one drops anything, which would pretty 17 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: much guarantee losing. So it is with a lot of 18 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: group projects. I suspect that with many teams, the second 19 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: runner is not preparing to match the pace of the first, 20 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: and the first runner just sort of tosses the baton 21 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: into the air, assuming it will be picked up in 22 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: a timely manner. We can do better. Everyone needs to 23 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: think carefully about how to keep the team going when 24 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: the expected and the unexpected happens. So if you are 25 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: on a team, set the norm that everyone confirms timing 26 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: on their next steps. There is no need to overthink this. 27 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: If you are the one passing the baton, you can 28 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: just send an email saying something like, on Monday, I 29 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 1: will send you the spreadsheet for the spring mailing. Could 30 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: you confirm that you have everything else you need for 31 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: the mailing and that you can get it out by 32 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: the end of next week. You say, when you do 33 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 1: your part, and the next person confirms that they have 34 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: what they need to do their part and when they 35 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: will do it, you can both see that you are 36 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: still on track. If you are the one receiving the baton, 37 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: you also need to let the previous person know when 38 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: you plan to do the work. This lets them know 39 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: if a delay is a little thing or if it 40 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: is a big problem. So if someone says they will 41 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: send you a draft for your review on Tuesday, you 42 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: can reply great, I have reserved time Wednesday morning for 43 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: reviewing your draft. Please let me know by Monday. If 44 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: there is any change in the plan, so I can 45 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: reschedule a accordingly. You can also tell them if the 46 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: stakes are higher for meeting that stated time, as in, 47 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: just so you know, I am headed out of town 48 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: on Thursday, so if you're not able to get me 49 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: the draft by Wednesday morning at the latest, I'll need 50 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: to review it the next week. If a delay of 51 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: one day getting the work to you can mean a 52 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: delay of much more than one day and you're completing 53 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: the next step, it is a good idea to make 54 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: sure everyone knows this in advance. In teams where people 55 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: are located in very different time zones, you might even 56 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: need to nail down the hour when the baton will 57 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: be passed. If you are in New York, getting your 58 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: London teammates something at nine am on Friday means they 59 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: might be able to look at it before the weekend. 60 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: Getting it in at noon on Friday means it probably 61 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: won't be looked at until Monday. That's good to know. 62 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: Smart teams plan in when team members will be taking 63 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: time off. Hopefully your organization has some system where you 64 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: can see this, but I know not everyone checks, so 65 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 1: be sure to bring it up a few weeks before 66 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: you're planned time off. You might say I'll be away 67 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: from February twelfth to the sixteenth. So if there is 68 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: anything you'd like me to know about or do before 69 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: I head out, please let me know by February sixth, 70 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: if at all possible. Otherwise, I look forward to being 71 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: in touch after I get back. Now, of course, we 72 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: don't always know when people will be out of the office. 73 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: If winter where you live is like winter where I live, 74 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: the unexpected starts to become the expected. Germs are everywhere 75 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 1: this time of year. People have to miss work because 76 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: they are sick themselves, or they are taking care of 77 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: a kid who is home from school. Then there's the 78 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 1: weather snow and ice that prevent us from getting where 79 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: we need to go, that prevent school buses from getting 80 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: where they need to go, which means more days with 81 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: kids home from school. Unexpectedly, people can lose power in hailstorms. 82 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: It happens, but that doesn't mean we need to throw 83 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: up our hands and decide that the future is unknowable. 84 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: All deadlines will inevitably be missed. The truth is that 85 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 1: even the unexpected can be planned for. Hopefully, everyone who 86 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: can work from home has a setup that allows them 87 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 1: to work from home. Consider setting the norm that anyone 88 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 1: who could work from home takes their laptop home every night. 89 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: That way, if someone is out unexpectedly for weather or 90 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: child's illness, they can work remotely. I'll note that if 91 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: you are a manager and also set the norm that 92 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: something is better than nothing, you will happily take the 93 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: three hours someone can work from home while a sick 94 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: child is napping or watching videos, rather than complain about 95 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: your employee not being in the office for eight hours. 96 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: That will inspire people to try to keep things moving forward, 97 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: even under less than ideal conditions for major projects. It 98 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: is also a good idea to plan in redundancy. Just 99 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: like every Broadway show has understudies for the major roles, 100 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: your team needs to have a back up person for 101 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: any work that can't be easily rescheduled or can't be 102 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: done remotely. You might even call it an understudy role 103 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: just to get people to take it more seriously. You 104 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: might need to perform the leading role tomorrow. Are you ready. 105 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: The goal is that when two team members are out 106 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: of the office because flights from the West coast are 107 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: all canceled due to a blizzard, the work can keep 108 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: moving forward. Perhaps sometimes delays are inevitable, but a lot 109 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: of delays are avoidable with a little more intentional scheduling 110 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: and communication. Despite illnesses, whether and scheduled time off, you 111 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: can keep the team going and feel like you are 112 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: getting a lot more done in the meantime. This is Laura. 113 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 114 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 115 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 116 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: Laura Vandercamp. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For 117 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 118 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.