What do I need to know?

People love to give advice

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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 in a new situation,
ask veterans to tell you what you need to know.

(00:27):
People love to share advice, and this question can lead
to more interesting and useful conversations than many other subjects.
If you spend any time reading comment threads online, you
will soon realize that people love to say what worked

(00:47):
and what didn't work for them. Sharing advice hits that
great intersection between the human needs of wanting to be
helpful and social and the fact that people love to
talk about themselves. So why not take advantage of that.
If you are new in a situation, you probably want

(01:08):
to get to know people, and you probably do want
to know information that is helpful and useful. People are
often honored if you ask them what would be helpful
for you to know? So ask. For instance, if you're
moving to a new town, ask people who know the area,

(01:29):
what do I need to know about living in this place?
You can ask your new colleagues, your real estate agent,
your new neighbors, the friendly beerista at the coffee shop
near your office, and anyone else who might have suggestions.
You might get recommendations for a nearby farmer's market, or
advice on where not to park, tips on kid birthday

(01:50):
party norms, or who knows. Likewise, if you are going
somewhere on vacation for the first time, ask those who
have been there, what do I need to know about
New Orleans? For Marti Gras, from things to pack to
foods to eat to the best parade viewing spots, Marti
Gras regulars will help you have a great time. You

(02:14):
can ask for tips that a new job or in
a new department. What do I need to know about
working here? This is also a great format for questions
for kids to ask what do I need to know
about being in Miss Brown's Algebra one class? Or what
do I need to know about basketball tryouts? What do
I need to know about packing for this sleepaway camp.

(02:38):
Even people who are relative newcomers will probably want to
help answer this question. They've picked up something in their
limited experience, and they will be happy to help you
avoid any missteps they had. The upside of this question
is that you get information you didn't even know to

(02:58):
ask about. Maybe what you need to know about Miss
Brown's algebra class is that she always gives a quiz
the day before Thanksgiving because she has a particular be
in her bonnet about families taking extra days for this vacation.
You probably wouldn't think to ask about this particular pet peeve,

(03:19):
but if you know, you know, and you can figure
out what to do with it now. Of course, some
advice isn't useful. I was once warned in a new
job that I needed to know about something that was
a particular problem for my predecessor. For whatever reason, it

(03:40):
wasn't a problem for me. I had different struggles, but
not that particular one. You always have to figure out
what to do with the information you receive. But even
if it isn't useful, it can help you connect with
other people. Asking people for advice makes them feel useful,

(04:02):
which is highly likely to make them feel closer to you,
And if you are a new person somewhere, that is
a very useful thing. Indeed, in the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

(04:22):
our times. 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

(04:45):
production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.