One of my clients is talking about putting a new hire on hold because of the Sydney lockdown, not the only one I imagine. Yet more uncertainty for those of you running a business.
It was Franklin D. Roosevelt who said “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor” and uncertainty was something he had a bit to do with. I imagine he would be shaking his head with sympathy if he were to see our current woes.
Business Is All About People
It’s always people that are the biggest challenge in your businesses, just trying to balance your capacity with client demand can be a nightmare, let alone finding, training, and managing the ones you have.
Over the years I have developed a strategy for getting things done that I will share with you. From the minor things like finding it slightly difficult trying to buy something from a cafe or shop, right up to struggling to make progress on a big project. What I do is just stop doing the same thing. Smile, say thank you, and then go talk to someone else that can get things done. Walk up to a different counter, say goodbye and call again, call a competitor, ask mates if they know someone. Don’t ever wait on hold. That’s not to say that some people are better than others, just that some people are better than others at getting particular things done. You wouldn’t ask me to shoe your horse.
So we often just have to look a little bit further afield than we normally might. Think about all the times you have done that and loved the result, and been thankful every time you need the same thing done, that it used to be a problem but now you have “great people” to do that.
Strategists would say that you should:
Firstly: take time to properly define the problem
Then: search broadly for possible solutions
Do both of those before you even start to choose the best solution and implement it. Remember it’s best not to be creative and critical at the same time.
How to Make Things Happen In Your Business
If you have read this blog a couple of times you know that everything above this point is just an interesting preamble to a boring diatribe about timesheets and margin reporting. So for those of you that want to read more…
Timesheets Are Even More Important Now
How To Manage Margins In Professional Services
Margins Are King Makers; Cash is the Consequence
How To Swing From Vine To Vine
People Are Your Biggest Possibility
Thank you
Thomas
Photo by Silas Baisch on Unsplash