Offer multiple pathways

Let people get involved in the ways that work best for them

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that when you are making a plan with
other people, offer multiple pathways for being part of it.

(00:24):
If you do, you are more likely to settle on
a plan that works well for everyone. I've recently heard
about a volunteer team debriefing about a reception they had
hosted where fewer families than hoped provided food. One volunteer
asked whether next time maybe they could offer the opportunity

(00:47):
to contribute money instead of food. That would serve the
same purpose of keeping the organization from having to buy food,
and contributing cash instead of food might be a welcome
option for people who are time constrained. Then, another volunteer
suggested that an additional way to participate could be for

(01:09):
a volunteer to take that donated money and buy food
with it. A brilliant idea, since some people have more
spare time than money in so many contexts, more people
can participate when you offer multiple pathways. If you invite
friends for dinner and they ask what they could bring,

(01:30):
you could suggest they bring an appetizer or drink or
you could suggest they bring a music playlist or a
great story. Then they can choose what works for them,
and whatever they bring will contribute to a great evening.
If you want to meet up with a friend, you
could suggest a before work walk, a weekday lunch, or

(01:54):
a cookout with your families on the weekend. Then hopefully
at least one of those options will work well for her.
If you are negotiating with a potential employer about a job,
you could consider not just compensation but also location. How
many days are you in the office each week, how

(02:16):
many hours are you expected to work? What about perks
like days of PTO. When you consider more variables in
your negotiation, you are more likely to agree to a
package you are both excited about. Even in more mundane contexts,
you can offer multiple pathways. When you are playing schedule

(02:37):
tetris and trying to figure out how you and your
partner can get your kids where they need to go,
you could lay out a few possible plans, all feasible,
even if none of them ideal. Then you could let
your partner pick whatever option he or she prefers. You
have identified options that seem workable to you and the

(02:59):
other party picks the pathway so you're both reasonably happy.
When you're trying to develop a plan, it can be
wise to offer multiple pathways for achieving the plan's goals.
With multiple options available, everyone can find a pathway that
works for them. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks

(03:23):
for listening, and here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas,
or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura
vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia.

(03:52):
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