1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: tip is that if you are scheduling an event, think 4 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 1: about what is happening in the broader world at the 5 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: time you are scheduling. At four we never schedule in 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: a vacuum, so even if the time seems fine to you, 7 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: make sure that there isn't something else going on that 8 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: you should know about. So I am guessing we have 9 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: all had meetings scheduled for shockingly bad times. Think early 10 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: morning after the super Bowl or a close presidential election, 11 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: or some other night when people were likely to have 12 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: been up too late. Or maybe it is four thirty 13 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: pm on Halloween or New Year's Eve or frankly, any Friday. 14 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: Then there are the awkwardly scheduled social events, like a 15 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: book club brunch on Mother's Day or a wedding the 16 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: day after Thanksgiving. When you are scheduling for a group, 17 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: it is always possible that a given time won't work 18 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,919 Speaker 1: for everyone. But if you think about the broader context 19 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: when you are scheduling and put yourself in your attendee's shoes, 20 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: you will be more likely to find a time that 21 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: will be workable and not irritating for more people. So 22 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: how exactly do you know if something will be a 23 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: bad time for starters? Even if you don't watch TV 24 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: or participate in major cultural events, if something is big 25 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: enough that you have heard of it, then maybe just 26 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: be weary of the morning after. I agree that maybe 27 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: people shouldn't be up until midnight watching the super Bowl, 28 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: but if they are going to be unproductive at your 29 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: seventh thirty meeting that Monday, you still need to deal 30 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: with that reality. You also don't want to schedule much 31 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: for the day after a big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, 32 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: since a lot of people will be hoping to take 33 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: those days off even if your office is open, or 34 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: the day after extended school vacations. If you work with 35 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: a lot of parents, some people may end up being 36 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: unexpectedly absent because of flight delays. Other people may have 37 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: been up late traveling home and getting unpacked, and no 38 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: one is likely to have done much prep for the meeting. 39 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: Much better to let people have a day in the 40 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:42,959 Speaker 1: office before you schedule something that truly matters. You don't 41 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: want to schedule for the day before big holidays either. 42 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: Some people may be out of the office already, and 43 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: other people may be on vacation mentally, even if they 44 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: are there physically. What's more, a meeting the last day 45 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: in the office will probably mean that people don't do 46 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: any need follow up immediately after the meeting. You may 47 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 1: also want to be aware of dates that are weighty 48 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: for some people, even if they are not particularly important 49 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: for you. So don't schedule a work dinner on Valentine's 50 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: Day even if you don't care about it. Your colleagues 51 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: and their partners may care about the day. Now. I 52 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: totally understand that the day can creep up on you 53 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: if you happen to be single, or if you and 54 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: your partner have a compact to avoid manufactured and overly 55 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: commercial holidays, but it's just highly likely to be a 56 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: problem for someone else. We probably don't love our colleagues 57 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: that much, so be aware. Make sure your calendar has 58 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: major holidays on it, and if you don't have kids, 59 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: ask about the local school schedules so you have some 60 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: idea of when every parent in your office is going 61 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: to want to take off. Basically, when you are scheduling gathering, 62 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: whether professional or social, you want to think through whether 63 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: people are likely to be available, both physically and mentally. 64 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: Put yourself in other people's future shoes and in your 65 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: own future self shoes, and imagine what it would be 66 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 1: like to attend the gathering at a given day and time. 67 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: That way, you can schedule for a time when people 68 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: will be able to do the gathering justice. In the meantime, 69 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 70 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 71 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 72 00:04:51,640 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 73 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 74 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 75 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.