Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to normalize imperfection. We've had fuller windows
Speaker 1: into each other's lives in recent months, with video calls
Speaker 1: showing us each other's homes and families. We see more
Speaker 1: of who people are as people. And while some of
Speaker 1: this is less carefully crafted than we might like, that's
Speaker 1: actually okay. There are some real benefits to seeing that
Speaker 1: not everything is perfect, nor does it need to be.
Speaker 1: I've discussed in the past that your zoom square is
Speaker 1: your personal brand. You want to put some thought into
Speaker 1: creating a backdrop that fits the image you want to convey,
Speaker 1: but that image does not need to be one of perfection.
Speaker 1: In fact, it may be better if you allow for
Speaker 1: some imperfection. There are many ways that we feel distant
Speaker 1: from each other right now, but there's also a closeness
Speaker 1: that comes from seeing our colleagues and friends as full people.
Speaker 1: We don't just see people polished for in the office work.
Speaker 1: We see them in less guarded moments. Maybe you're pulled
Speaker 1: together CEOs Toddler walks in and announces that she has
Speaker 1: to go potty. Your boss is surrounded by a seemingly
Speaker 1: random spread of papers, and you are pretty sure that
Speaker 1: you saw that same empty cereal bowl on your last
Speaker 1: video call. Your client, who dots every eye and crosses
Speaker 1: every t is still figuring out video conference technology and
Speaker 1: routinely shares the wrong screen or hangs up unintentionally. We
Speaker 1: are all imperfect, and while we knew that on some
Speaker 1: level before, we see it more now. It's awkward sometimes
Speaker 1: but also humanizing. So today's tip is to acknowledge to
Speaker 1: that imperfection and normalize it, because this actually has some
Speaker 1: productivity benefits. No one can do everything. When senior staff
Speaker 1: and respected coworkers normalize imperfection about things that don't matter,
Speaker 1: it shows others what prioritizing looks like in real life.
Speaker 1: This can happen by acknowledging a messy workspace on a
Speaker 1: video call, or by drawing a diagram on the whiteboard
Speaker 1: during a meeting that's helpful for illustrating the point but
Speaker 1: won't win art awards. When less experienced staff see that
Speaker 1: they're more experienced colleagues don't have impeccable skills in all
Speaker 1: aspects of their lives, it helps them feel less self
Speaker 1: conscious and more confident. In addition, by narrating what you're
Speaker 1: focusing on communicating your idea and what you're not focusing
Speaker 1: on the esthetics of the diagram you drew, you're modeling
Speaker 1: for your colleagues that they too, should focus on the
Speaker 1: areas that add value. There is no point in being
Speaker 1: distracted by seeking perfection in areas that don't matter. Of course,
Speaker 1: there are also imperfections in areas of our lives that
Speaker 1: do matter, like our families and relationships. But even here,
Speaker 1: since perfection is impossible, we want to model what is
Speaker 1: human and humane. It's natural that your kids will wander
Speaker 1: into your workspace occasionally, sometimes at inopportune moments. Greet them lovingly,
Speaker 1: and then do what you need to to get back
Speaker 1: to work. Showing how you deal with the unexpected will
Speaker 1: cause your team to have more respect for you. They
Speaker 1: will also feel more confident in doing the best work
Speaker 1: they can under the circumstances, even when their lives aren't
Speaker 1: perfect either. So today, do what you can to normalize imperfection.
Speaker 1: That doesn't mean having low standards or giving up. It
Speaker 1: means acknowledging that flawed human beings can still do great work.
Speaker 1: Normalizing your own imperfections will give other people courage too
Speaker 1: that they can do great things. And there's a lot
Speaker 1: that imperfect people can accomplish together. In the meantime, this
Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the
Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear
Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,
Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook
Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four,
Speaker 1: then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media
Speaker 1: dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all
Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying
Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio.
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