We have to respect people's time and capacity as both are limited elements and those limitations vary from individual to individual. This arena of respect may be more difficult today given the great variety of lifestyles, schedules, and communication means available. When I was young people's patterns were more similar than different, and now it seems to me that the variability of patterns in great. So how do you deal with this.
In the best of circumstances, we're clear and polite with one another about our capacity, time, and availability. We let people know what we're able to do, what we're not able to do, and how we can best work together on mutually beneficial endeavor. In the worst of circumstances, we simply project our needs, schedule, and capacity on one another with out the needed respect, understanding, or outreach that makes communication successful.
As I think more about this, I want to be cognizant of who is available and who is not. I want to understand well what people are willing and able to do and what they are not willing and able to do. The best way to discern this is to be an observant listener who looks out for people's best interests. That's often not as simple as it seems.
To do this well may benefit from this series of questions:
- What is the need?
- What is the best case and worst case scenarios related to this need?
- Who cares about this need?
- How can those who care best communicate and collaborate?
- When will the communication and resulting work occur?
- How will the efforts be assessed, updated, and improved over time?