1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,319 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: tip is that you don't have to pick up every 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: dropped ball. I know that the people who listen to 5 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast are conscientious and productive, and it can be 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: utterly maddening to watch other people drop the ball. A 7 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: colleague has offered to plan a baby shower for a 8 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: team member, and the due date keeps getting closer with 9 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: no indication that anything has been planned. Or maybe you 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: have a high schooler who doesn't want you to register 11 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: him for the SAT, but has not taken any steps 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: to do that himself. Maybe a local nonprofit board chair 13 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: has insisted you need a summer meeting, but she has 14 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: not scheduled it and it is almost Labor Day. Your 15 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:05,320 Speaker 1: neighbor asked about borrowing your powerwasher. You said yes, you 16 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: moved it to your porch and there it sits. In 17 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: moments like these, conscientious people often feel tempted to swoop 18 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: in to pick up the drop ball and save the day. 19 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: You scramble to plan a baby shower last minute, you 20 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: write to the board chair to suggest dates. You walk 21 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: your powerwasher over to your neighbors, and sometimes picking up 22 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: a dropped ball is the right thing to do. I mean, 23 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: you probably don't want to let your kid delay taking 24 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: the SAT too long if you're pretty sure he does 25 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,199 Speaker 1: hope to go to college. You want your team member 26 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: to have a baby shower, and so you might decide 27 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: to plan the shower as your colleague, who you know 28 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: is less busy than you, makes noises about how everything 29 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: has just been so busy. And sometimes you pick up 30 00:01:57,520 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: the ball because it's going to land back in your 31 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: court anyway, and the later it does, the more frantic 32 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,279 Speaker 1: everything will be. If your boss wants you to create 33 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: some charts for his presentation and he hasn't gotten you 34 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: the data, sadly, you probably do need to follow up 35 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: so he doesn't drop this in your lap the night 36 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: before his presentation when you have a million other things 37 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: going on. But you don't always have to pick up 38 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,839 Speaker 1: the ball. If it is not going to be much 39 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: bothered to you one way or another, you can just 40 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: let it ride. If your neighbor hasn't come by in 41 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: a week, just put the powerwasher back in the garage. 42 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: Your neighbor can knock on your door or text you 43 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: when they're on the way, and you will deal with 44 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: it then if it is convenient. In some cases, you 45 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,399 Speaker 1: can float a test balloon. A friend who hasn't responded 46 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: to dates you suggested for getting together can be nudged 47 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: with a message sking if she had other dates in mind. 48 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: But eventually you have to let the other person decide 49 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: to deal with it or not. Indeed, sometimes you can 50 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: deliberately put the ball back in someone's court to decide 51 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 1: if they are serious or not. If you have this 52 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: sort of job where a lot of people want to 53 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: pick your brain or do informational interviews about your industry, 54 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: you can ask the person requesting a meeting to first 55 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: send you a list of questions so you can prepare. 56 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: If the person does, great, you could schedule a meeting. 57 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: But if they drop the ball, well good you found 58 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: out before you spent thirty minutes with them or tried 59 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: to do a professional favor for someone who wasn't actually 60 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: that excited about it in the first place, especially when 61 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: the other person made the request or initiated planning. If 62 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: they drop the ball, you may not need to pick 63 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: it up. You can assume that when it's a priority 64 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: for them, they will get back to it, and you 65 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: don't need to take responsibility for it in the meantime. 66 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 67 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 68 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 69 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 70 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 71 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 72 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.