Managing my time properly is essential to my professional career but it also allows me to keep a good balance between work and leisure. Being organised means that I put a proper plan in place, so I can manage my time well, and that allows me more time for myself and my family. I consider this part of being a leader and a businesswoman.
Running a business
As a businesswoman, I don’t have a lot of time to spare. Efficiency is a must in this business and I cannot afford to waste my time, or yours, with unnecessary things. As a client, you want things done professionally and in a timely fashion. Because I am also a business person and I understand that, I can meet your needs, because they are also mine.
I have a diary and a calendar where I set all my business activities and plan my time accordingly. In my view, you cannot run a business if you are not organised. Either working alone or in a team, it is essential to be organised to make the business grow and flourish. Having everything planned to the minute has helped run my business and help my clients.
Even working alone, I still keep records of all steps I make for the business and I plan everything. I work alone, but I’m still a businesswoman and I still run a business, so it is no different for me. When I was working in a team, having a plan and being organised was also an essential part of our business model.
I believe in weekly team meetings. These are great to see where the team is at, identify possible issues that need to be addressed and, of course, set up a plan to mitigate those issues. It is also a great opportunity to talk to all team members and share views. You can’t grow if you are not open to share your views and learn with others.
Keeping records of all discussions, helps keep track of all ideas put forward as well as the plans set to put those ideas in place. This has been my philosophy for more than 10 years. I have been criticised for being too strict, but I always tell them that if I wasn’t strict I wouldn’t be in business. One need to be strict and organised to be able to run a business. You must know everything about your business and, most importantly, have great communication with your team, so you can identify possible problems as soon as possible and solve them before they become a big issue for you and your company.
Helping clients
Just like myself, you are also a business person and you don’t have time to waste. If you want a service, you want to know who is happy to provide it to you, when will it be done and how much it will cost you. You have your plans and your company can’t wait 2 days to get a response. I understand that, and when I get an email I respond promptly, even if I’m out of office, I acknowledge the email and inform the person that I am not available.
Great communication is the secret. I go straight to the point. I’m direct, transparent and I ask all the questions I need, so I know what you need and I get it done and I manage my time well. This way I don’t waste your time or mine with unnecessary emails that lead to nowhere. Time is money, and I know the value of your time, because I know the value of mine.