1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 1: tip is to ask people what is coming up that 4 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: you should know about? Rather than the nebulus what's new? 5 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: This question tends to lead to information that really will 6 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: be useful to you. Today's tip comes from freelance writer 7 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: Diana Kelly Levy. In a LinkedIn post, she recommended asking 8 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: what are you working on next that I should know about? 9 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: Levy says she asked this question as a magazine editor 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: and asks it now as a freelance writer. Asking this 11 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: question means she gets to hear about topics that might 12 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: make good articles in the future. For instance, if an 13 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: editor has a major feature package coming up, she could 14 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: figure out what might fit with that. A writer in 15 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: this scenario knows exactly what she should pitch. I think 16 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: this is also a smart question to ask. In general, 17 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: what's new tends to drum up answers about any sort 18 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: of activity going on in a person's life or the 19 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: answer not much, which can kill a conversation right there, 20 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: what are you working on next that I should know about? 21 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: Or the personal version, what's going on in your life 22 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,479 Speaker 1: now that I should know about tends to pull out 23 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: information that probably is going to affect you. So, for instance, 24 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: if you ask your boss what's coming up that I 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: should know about, she may remember to catch you up 26 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: on a project so you will be ready to do 27 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: your part in a few days. If you ask your spouse, kids, 28 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: or roommates this question, you might hear about things that 29 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: will affect your shared life, like a major work project 30 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: that will occupy your spouse for the weekend, a school 31 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: event you'll need to send, bake goods for a science 32 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: fair project you need to help with, or that a 33 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: friend of your roommate will be staying in your apartment 34 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: this weekend. Now, of course, these are things that you 35 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,799 Speaker 1: might hope the people in your household would bring up 36 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: without being asked, But sometimes people forget or they figure 37 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: they'll mention it closer to when it's happening, But you 38 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: would be best off knowing it sooner. In any case, 39 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: you will probably all be happier if you ask this 40 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: question from time to time. Sometimes, when you ask what's 41 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: coming up that I should know about, the responses may 42 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: not be truly actionable, and that is okay. Your direct 43 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: report might share that she's been learning Canva in her 44 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: free time, now, you know. But still that's better than 45 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: asking what's new, which has a high probability of returning 46 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: the answer nothing much, and you can't really do anything 47 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: with that. If you ask a version of this question, 48 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: what's coming up that I should know about? I'd love 49 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: to hear hear what you learn. You can reach me 50 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime, 51 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 52 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 53 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 54 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 55 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 56 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 57 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.