1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to designate fix it times to improve 4 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: operations and reduce wasted time and frustration at work and 5 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: at home. This tip comes from Kim Scott's book Radical Candor. 6 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: This book teaches readers how to be a great boss who, 7 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: as she puts it, cares personally about her team and 8 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: also challenges them directly. There are lots of helpful management tips, 9 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: but even if you're not leading a group, you can 10 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: use some of her ideas to make things better both 11 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: at work and at home. Designating a fix it time 12 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: is one of these ideas. Scott explains that engineering organizations 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: often have fixed it weeks, which she calls the equivalent 14 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: of spring cleaning. As she explained, means everyone will stop 15 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: working on new features for a week and fix bugs 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: in the current product. She contrasts fixed it weeks with 17 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,759 Speaker 1: hack weeks, when the focus is on developing new ideas. 18 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: Fix it weeks provide a chance to fix old and 19 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: annoying problems that have been bothering people for months. If 20 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: you're like me, you can probably think of all kinds 21 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: of bugs at work and at home that you'd love 22 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: to eliminate. Maybe you want to set up your printer 23 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: to scan directly to email so that you don't need 24 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: to plug a flash drive into your printer every time 25 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: you want to turn a paper document into a PDF. 26 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: Maybe you want to create a launch pad by your 27 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: back door at home so you can stop feeling frazzled 28 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: every morning as you're looking for your keys or umbrella. 29 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: Maybe that towel rack in your bathroom is threatening to 30 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: come loose from the wall and don't get me started 31 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: on random burned out lights, or that you find yourself 32 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: typing the same answers over and over again to people 33 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: who request a certain document. Keep a list of these 34 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: bugs things that consume time, drain your energy, or cause frustration. 35 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: This could be a document on your computer, a page 36 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: and a bullet journal, or just a list stuck to 37 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: your fridge anywhere that's convenient to see. If you lead 38 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,119 Speaker 1: a team, ask your colleagues to keep a running list 39 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: of bugs. Ask your home team, that is, the people 40 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: who live with you or come to your house regularly, 41 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: to keep a list of bugs as well. Then designate 42 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: periodic fix it times ideally times when you don't have 43 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: too many other constraints. Maybe you're off for a holiday 44 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 1: but your kids aren't. That could be a great time 45 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: to eliminate some bugs at home. Or you can choose 46 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: a friday at work that you've intentionally kept clear to 47 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: deal with these problems. Yes, you could keep putting these 48 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: things off. There's no real harm caused by having to 49 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: use the memory stick on your printer, but it will 50 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: also feel really good to cross them off and not 51 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: be bothered by them ever again. Although Scott talks about 52 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: annual fix it weeks, you can experiment with the duration 53 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 1: and frequency of fix it times that work for you, 54 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: your team, and your family. One day per quarter might 55 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: be a good starting point. In any case, it's easy 56 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: to underestimate how much time we lose to the bugs 57 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,279 Speaker 1: in our life and how much frustration we needlessly experience. 58 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: Fix It times can help us reclaim wasted time and energy, 59 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: which we can then use to progress toward our goals. 60 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: Are there bugs at work or at home that are 61 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: annoying you? If you try to fix it time, I'd 62 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: love to hear how it goes. You can reach me 63 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: before Breakfast podcast at I Heeart media dot com. In 64 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's 65 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 66 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 67 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 68 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at B for Breakfast pod. That's B 69 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: the number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can 70 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at 71 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled 72 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 73 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 74 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 75 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 76 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.