Davis Business Consultants Ireland | Business Consulting, Business Training, Recession Beating

The Balancing Act

Interiors Association Inside (January 2008)

A large proportion of interior designers are self employed and as a creative profession it leaves them more susceptible to complications when juggling their work and private lives, but there are some tips to help combat this.

Small and medium-sized practices are perhaps the most vulnerable to the ‘always on’ culture of overworking. Increasingly dependent on mobiles, Blackberrys, email and internet, it’s easy to get caught up on a treadmill of endless work tasks that diminish your time for leisure, friends and family. In the worst cases this leads to stress.

Personally, I don’t agree with the terminology ‘work life balance,’ because it implies that as one area of your life improves, something else suffers. In my experience of working with business professionals, the first thing that needs to be done is to analyse and find the root cause of the problem. We can then solve the correct problem, which in turn frees up your time and improves your quality of life.

To improve your quality of life, you need to organise your time and your team’s time properly, build an effective team that works together and earn more fees while working less hours. This is all possible.

If you recognise that you don’t have as much ‘me time’ or family time as you would like, you also need to be accountable to someone. My clients find that being accountable to me for making the necessary changes, helps in this regard in achieving success. You can then step off the treadmill and get back in control, not just of your time; but more importantly, your life.

Below are some initial steps to help you find more time.

Analyse:

How can your employees or colleagues help you more effectively? Would better team-building and management strategies help you free up more of your time?
Identify your own needs and those of your employees and provide arrangements accordingly. Teleworking and flexi-working, for example allows earlier or later starts and finishes to avoid rush hours. Commuting time can be used to give you a head start on the day.
What tasks are urgent and most important? If you’re spending too much time on less important work, set limits and come back to them later.
Are you spending too much time with less important clients? Keeping a log or diary of work for each client will help you see where you should set limits that will free up some time for more important clients.
Put some boundaries to your day. For example, give yourself permission to start as early as you wish, but decide on a no-work zone after say, 6pm. This means no voicemail, emails or checking the diary.

Prioritise:

When you’re working on an important task, be proactive, not reactive. Don’t answer emails and calls right away if the current task is a priority. Using voicemail, email rules, autoreplies and spam filters effectively can help with this.
Are you often interrupted when working on important tasks? Would it help to minimise interruptions through team-building and better management.
Lunchtime exercise will re-energise you; even a fifteen-minute walk sharpens our attention for the afternoon and restores our perspective. A short swim or workout is even better. If this helps you work better in the afternoon, make it a priority.
Working for shorter periods with regular breaks is often more effective than completing longer tasks in one go. It should also improve your concentration.
Prepare for meetings and plan them so that important issues are dealt with first. Stick to the designated time for them and avoid lengthy follow-ups.

By working smarter, not harder, you can achieve a better quality of life that takes your whole life into account, rather than compromising either area at the expense of the other. We will cover ways of improving the team that works with you, how to manage your time better and how to earn higher fees in more detail in future articles. In the meantime if you like to receive a copy of our eBook – Top 100 Tips to Find More Time simply send me an email to paul@davisbusinessconsultants.com.

Click here to return to Published Articles

"Paul Davis is one of the top consultants Ireland has ever seen."

Mary Eastwood | Managing Director, Albrite Training
"I just signed up a new client for a contract worth in excess of €600,000... this stuff really works and it's so easy..."

Ken Murray | Managing Director, Castle Mechanical Handling
"This has been a positive life changing experience in both a business and a personal sense"

Eddie Grace | Managing Director, IBC Limited
"I've just signed a client up for a new contract that will be worth around €400,000 to me over the next twelve months."

Ken Garvey | Partner, Cusack Garvey Chartered Accountants
"I doubled my fee AND got another client at the same meeting, just from one of the techniques I learned from Paul."

Damien McKay – Managing Director, Damien McKay Ltd.
"...has helped us to get to grips with a complex array of fiscal scenarios..."

Mairtin Breathnach | Managing Director, Universal Media Agency
"...quality of the work is excellent..."

Lorcan Colclough | Audit Partner, Mazars
"...the transition was handled so smoothly and efficiently by Paul Davis..."

Marlen Carvalho | Director, SAHRU, Trinity College
"...Paul exemplifies credibility, reliability and complete thoroughness..."

Deirdre Meghan | Managing Director, Meghan Group
"...the business skills that Paul brings to an organisation are invaluable..."

Deirdre Meghan | Managing Director, Meghan Group
"...provides a clear direction for our business and sound, unbiased business advice..."

Michelle Byrne | Managing Director, Axiom Design
"...has been invaluable in helping us to grow our practice..."

Bernard McEvoy | Senior Partner, McEvoy Partners
"...allowed and facilitated the time to stand back, analyse the business and work on it..."

Cathy McGennis | Director, SPSS Ireland
"...a valuable exercise for business owners trying to establish their business..."

Ian Jackson | Director, Go2Web
"...just do it! It is well worthwhile taking the time to work on your business given by people with passion and experience..."

Cecil Shine | Director, Minerex Environmental
"...had a great influence in the success of my business..."

Sean Flannery | Owner, Flannery Nurseries
"...it has definitely been useful for us to actually get our business to run properly..."

Cora Sherwood | Owner, Irish Towing Services
"...excellent for owner managers. Do it and get focused..."

Steve Perry | Owner, The Shower Doctors
"...I highly recommend them to anyone in business..."

Sharon Tinkler | Owner, Stepping Out
"...forces you to face the real issues - not just the usual ones. Highly experienced and personable..."

John Healy | Owner, Absolute Organic
"...I have become a boss whereas before I was a solicitor in a practice..."

Deirdre Burke | D.M. Burke & Co
"...the programme has exceeded my original expectations..."

Deirdre Burke | D.M. Burke & Co
"...I would whole heartily recommend this programme to all owner managers..."

John Coffey | Managing Director, GC Technology
"...already paid huge dividends..."

Alan McGuirk | General Manager, Time: Bar + Venue Night Club
"...it's a mini MBA, but practical..."

Peter O'Neill | Managing Director, Invotech
"...Paul is a classic lateral thinker, providing stimulating idea's...."

Michelle Byrne | Managing Director, Axiom Design
"...a clear and practical guide on how run a better business...."

Tom Taylor | Director, Minerex Environmental
"...this programme allowed and facilitated the time to stand back, analyse the business and work on it....."

Cathy McGennis | Owner, SPSS Ireland
"...this programme has made it simple for me to best move forward with my business....."

Phelim Pekaar | Managing Director, P3
"...this programme really helped increase my confidence in business....."

Jenny Rush | Director, Minerex Environmental
"...I really enjoyed the programme and I would recommend it to anyone in business....."

Shane O’Reilly | Director, SOS Property Services
"...a really worthwhile programme. It takes the fear out of business as you quickly learn that it is a simple game to play....."

Ken Murray | Managing Director, Castle Mechanical Handling
"...this programme has given me the direction, vision and tools to lead the business towards a solid future even in a difficult climate...."

Martina Wyse | General Manager, Flannery Nurseries