Dating – The Importance of Dating for Entrepreneurs
Our businesses also differ in terms of interface with customers. If you transact business-to-business, the number of people you interact with on a daily basis may differ from someone whose business depends on interacting with consumers. Dating can be more practical in some cases than others. You need to tailor the way you manage access to your particular situation if you want to eliminate distractions. Having said that, it’s important to note that some people don’t mind spending the entire day at the office entertaining friends, visitors, and casual acquaintances who drop into the office whenever they feel like it. Don’t be that kind of person. It sets the wrong kind of example for junior staff and can hurt one’s productivity because these people take time you don’t have and you also want to cultivate a professional environment.
The day’s demands are enough to fill the available eight hours of work unless you tend to fall behind and catch up. How do you stay competitive in the market if there is no separation between work and play? Anyone who is serious about success and achieving effective results will set clear boundaries so there is no confusion. Employers are more susceptible to this, especially when the workplace is easily accessible. Being your own boss places even more responsibility on you to maintain self-discipline and self-management. I’ve written an entire book called “Achieving More Through Self-Leadership.” In it, I walk you through the nuts and bolts of how you can get better results through self-management.
Dating is an important way of not only managing time, but also managing life. They help you be more structured and productive. Some people seem unable to honor their appointments. I once attended a job interview that was supposed to start at 10:30 am. At 11:30 there was no communication about what was happening or when the alleged job interview was going to take place. I decided at that point that this company probably wasn’t good enough for me to join because if you don’t respect people’s time, you probably don’t respect them.
You may be saying that dating is not for me, but you never go to the doctor, dentist, lawyer, or hairdresser without an appointment. Why is that the case? Because you just won’t see the dentist without an appointment. They have given you conditions acceptable to them. We tell the world around us how to treat us by what we allow.
Some people are always available when you want to see them. If you always have the freedom to see people on short notice, you’re probably not as organized. He who has a diary will manage the one who does not. Why? Because those who do not have an agenda are always available, although it is very likely that they will forget important meetings, dates and commitments due to lack of organization. I used to have a boss who kept a diary and everything you promised to do in the line of work, he would write it down, including the day and time you said he would have it. Of course, he would forget about it because he didn’t record it like he did and when it comes time to deliver, guess who’s going to find himself wanting it? That’s when I decided that I don’t commit to an action that I’m not willing to write about because what gets written gets done!
You may be saying, “what if my business is fueled by walk-ins? The fact that your business depends on passing customers should not be an excuse for clutter. Sometimes those who drop by unannounced can be potential customers, vendors, cold-calling salespeople, and even worthwhile business contacts. There is nothing wrong if the call is beneficial for you and your business, but I think there should be a structure and a way of doing things that follows certain pre-established principles. I remember seeing a sign in an office that said “if you don’t have anything to do please don’t do it here”. It’s humorous, yes, but true. Appointments help structure your day and help you allocate time to what’s important. This means you can focus on your most important asset: the paying customer. There is nothing as bad as walking into a place wanting to do business and the staff is not attentive because there is only a demand for their time. I am more understanding if staff are not busy entertaining social visitors at work.
In conclusion, you know your business situation better than any of us. All we can do is make recommendations that enable efficiencies that lead to growth. Some of you may really need a personal assistant to bring order to your office and focus on the things you’re unwilling to do, allowing you to focus on the high-value things you need to do, like running a business.