1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: tip is that when you ask someone to give you 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: a call, let them know why. That way they can 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: be prepared for the conversation and they won't be worried 6 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: about the reason for it. In our personal and professional lives, 7 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: people sometimes ask us to call them or ask if 8 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: they can chat on the phone without saying why. The 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: more vague the email or text, the more you can 10 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: wonder what is going on? Can you give me a call? 11 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: I need to chat about something can definitely make you 12 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: think that something bad is about to happen. I mean, 13 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: are we talking something so bad it can't even be 14 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: hinted at in an email? You don't want to create 15 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: a paper record what's going on? At least that's where 16 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: my brain goes. When I've had someone send me a 17 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: note like that, I usually think that something horrible is 18 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: going on, but it is almost never that, So why 19 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: create needless anxiety? I love that school nurses often now 20 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: call and say don't worry, it's not an emergency when 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: they are calling about let's say, a kid getting a 22 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: bump on the playground. In those first few seconds after 23 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: this is the school nurse Alex had an accident. You 24 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: don't know if we're talking something really serious or just 25 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: a skin knee that now has a band aid on it. 26 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: Bless the nurses for letting you know it is not 27 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: serious first. I think we should all aspire to that, 28 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: and even when things are serious, there is no reason 29 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: not to give people a heads up. If you are 30 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: planning to ask for a significant raise, you could say, 31 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: I'd like to talk about some of the financial details 32 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: of my job. If you'd like to be transferred to 33 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: something else, you can say, I'd like to talk about 34 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: my current projects and what I'd like to do in 35 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: the future. If you are planning to quit entirely and 36 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: you don't want to be shown the door immediately because 37 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: you work in a place that does that, perhaps you 38 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: can still say something like I'd like to talk about 39 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: some aspects of my job. In any case, this is 40 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: not hard to do. Rather than text your nephew to 41 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: call you and then let him spend the next few 42 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: hours wondering what he did that you are mad about, 43 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: to say, I'd love to talk with you about Christmas plans. 44 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: I'll give you a call tonight or to a friend. 45 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: I have some professional news that I'm excited to share. 46 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: When you have a few minutes, can you give me 47 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: a call after you've put the kids to bed? Is 48 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: perfectly fine. Just a few words can save a lot 49 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: of wondering, and when you give some clues about the 50 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: subject matter, that allows the other person to think it 51 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: through as well. I mean, who knows, maybe your boss 52 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: will take the hint that you are thinking of leaving 53 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: and come up with some plumb assignment she knows you'd 54 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: like and offer you a raise. I mean, wouldn't that 55 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: be a nice outcome to the tip off? In the 56 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: vast majority of cases, you are better off saying why 57 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: you want to talk. The element of surprise may be 58 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: good for investigative journalism or interviewing crime suspects, but for 59 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: most scenarios it really isn't. Let people know why you 60 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: want to talk and the conversation will start off with 61 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: a lot more goodwill. In the meantime, This is Laura. 62 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 63 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to before breakfast. If you've 64 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 65 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 66 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 67 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 68 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.