Believe it or not, sometimes it’s bad habits like not taking care of dirty dishes right away that will cost us business in the future. Think back to the years right after college when you shared an apartment with a roommate or two –were you the one that left the dishes in sink to clean themselves or cleaned them right away so as to not let things get crusty? Odds are if you are the former, you are now seeing these habits creep into your work life.
Just like dirty dishes, there are business related activities we must do everyday that we don’t enjoy –cold calling, invoicing, inventory, administration work etc. and, if we let them pile up then trouble strikes. Below three types of business owner (and dishwasher) you are and how this might be effecting your business.
Clean & Pristine. Whenever there is something to be done you are first to make sure it gets done properly and on time. Odds are you a great manager or CEO as you know how to properly manage people and are sensitive to customer relations, deadlines and making the client come first. Just remember to be mindful to others when they don’t perform the same way you do. When we hold others to our methodology and not our standards we end up frustrated and find it hard to work with others. Instead, make sure to properly demonstrate your definition of how things should be done with your employees, co-workers or team ahead of time to avoid any future miscommunication.
Half & Half. As an employee or manager you try to keep it all together but things manage to slip through the cracks somehow. Every time you take five steps forward it feels like you take a giant leap back –and let’s not even mention that infinite to do list! Here’s the truth: you’re just human so stop beating yourself up about it. Instead, try to create a better organizational system in order to help make sure deadlines don’t get broken and clients are always satisfied with the service they receive. Whether its training your staff better, learning to communicate your needs or investing in a 3rd party software i.e. infusion soft, contractually, nimble etc., the time to start is now, before everything spirals out of control.
Out of Control. Sometimes you wonder how your company is still running. Your clients are constantly chasing you for their deliverables, you have invoices that need to be paid from six months ago sitting on your desk and you can’t remember the last time you got your taxes filed on time. You need to get help before you start making mistakes you can’t outdo. Hire a business manager or secretary to manage all the things you have trouble with or seek help from a business coach or productivity coach on how to create a system that will help you get back on track and stay there.
You might read this and find yourself a combination of several types, the important thing to remember is to create a foolproof system that will not have your clients sniffing around your work wondering if you’re the type of business that takes care of it’s dirty dishes on time or not.
