WEBVTT - Second Cup: All opposed should offer ideas

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is that if you don't like a plan others

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<v Speaker 1>have developed, you have a responsibility to offer a reasonable alternative.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also set that as an expectation when others

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<v Speaker 1>offer feedback. That is the difference between complaining and being constructive.

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<v Speaker 1>These days, we take it for granted that getting feedback

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<v Speaker 1>is a good thing and that hearing multiple viewpoints helps

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<v Speaker 1>us make better decisions. Often that is true, two heads

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<v Speaker 1>can be better than one, and so forth. But there

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<v Speaker 1>is a difference between constructive feedback and complaining, and unfortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>the latter is quite common, even in situations where the

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<v Speaker 1>plans have involved a lot of work. I am sure

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<v Speaker 1>you have experienced this. Your team labors for weeks to

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<v Speaker 1>draw up programming for your office retreat, and then someone

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<v Speaker 1>spends the whole time complaining that the food was better

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<v Speaker 1>two years ago when it was catered by a restaurant

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<v Speaker 1>that has since gone out of business, and so wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>an option this time around. Anyway, If your neighborhood association

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<v Speaker 1>planned a neighborhood cookout for July fourth, instead of the

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<v Speaker 1>usual Fourth of July bicycle parade. Because your township made

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<v Speaker 1>it a lot harder to get a permit to close roads,

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<v Speaker 1>you will, no doubt hear complaints from families who wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to do things the way the neighborhood has always done it,

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<v Speaker 1>even if that was impossible with municipal bureaucracy. Even in

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<v Speaker 1>our own homes, plans developed by one family member may

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<v Speaker 1>be critiqued by another. If you propose going to the

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<v Speaker 1>amusement park, a proposal that seems like a surefire winner,

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<v Speaker 1>you may get gripes from your kids that they never

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<v Speaker 1>get to go on the fun rides because the little

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<v Speaker 1>siblings are too short for them, or that the nearby

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<v Speaker 1>park is boring and they want to go to one

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<v Speaker 1>that's a three hour drive away, and so forth. But

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<v Speaker 1>whatever the context, when someone has done a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>research and spend a lot of time and effort pulling

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<v Speaker 1>something together, it is not fair to simply oppose the idea.

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<v Speaker 1>Anyone objecting has a responsibility to suggest something reasonable that

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<v Speaker 1>they would be in favor of. Feedback is fine, but

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<v Speaker 1>we need to be constructive, not negative. If an activity gets

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<v Speaker 1>mixed reactions from your kids, you could suggest everyone come

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<v Speaker 1>up with three ideas that they would be excited about

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<v Speaker 1>and see where there's overlap. Maybe there will be. We

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<v Speaker 1>can hope those people objecting to the fourth of July

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<v Speaker 1>cookout they definitely need to take on a leadership role

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<v Speaker 1>in the neighborhood association so they can share their great

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<v Speaker 1>ideas and also put in the sweat equity necessary to

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<v Speaker 1>plan next year and at work. If people have ideas

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<v Speaker 1>for improving things, they definitely should be part of the

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<v Speaker 1>appropriate planning groups and they may take you up on

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<v Speaker 1>that offer, and they will call ten area restaurants next

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<v Speaker 1>time to get bids on the catering and see if

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<v Speaker 1>they can do better, and they might try to get

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<v Speaker 1>out of it. But at least when it is explained

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<v Speaker 1>what is involved, people have a chance to appreciate the

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<v Speaker 1>work that goes into planning and decisions, even if they

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<v Speaker 1>do still pout about it. I am not saying that

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<v Speaker 1>ideas shouldn't be critiqued and that feedback isn't helpful. I

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<v Speaker 1>am just saying that when someone is critiquing, they should

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<v Speaker 1>be asked to offer practical ideas on what can be

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<v Speaker 1>done differently, rather than just complaining or as someone once

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<v Speaker 1>put it all in favor, say I all opposed can

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<v Speaker 1>serve on the committee next time. In the meantime, this

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<v Speaker 1>is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the

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<v Speaker 1>most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear

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<v Speaker 1>from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else.

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<v Speaker 2>Before Breakfast pod that's b E the number four, then

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<v Speaker 2>email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks so much.

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<v Speaker 1>Should I look forward to staying in touch.

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<v Speaker 2>Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts

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