Wow, time flies! And work schedules should be there to help us - or not?
So - who is controlling who? Do you control your schedule, or is your schedule controlling you?
 
DON'T LET YOUR SCHEDULE MANAGE YOU
 
Client interactions, business administration, private life, community - they all need to be managed, so it all works out.
Check out some of the ideas below to get your thinking triggered.
 
WHY IS SCHEDULING YOUR DAY IMPORTANT?
 
Time is a finite resource for all of us. If you leave your limited number of days and hours up to chance, this is not responsible resource management. Try to use a schedule and reap the rewards!

REDUCE WASTED TIME
 
Unless you’re putting “Spend 3 hours on trying to re-invent the wheel” on your daily
schedule, then using your schedule keeps you from wasting time on things that aren’t
on the agenda.
 
INCREASE HAPPINESS
 
Even scientists agree: Following a schedule makes you happier!
 
IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY
 
You get more done when you follow a schedule.
 
REDUCE STRESS
 
Scheduling creates more certainty which reduces stress – and that improves health.
So, it's a win-win!
​

​FACILITATE COLLABORATION
 
Anytime you’re working with a team, a schedule keeps you all on the same page in the same place at the same time.
 
It’s clear that scheduling your day is valuable.
​
However, you can’t just throw stuff onto your “Cute Doggy Calendar” and hope for a
productive life. You need a strategy for being productive.
 
To be continued…

Many people still struggle with electronic calendar setup, something I see with clients
every day. ​This is how it usually happens:
They have a job before they start their business, and they use a calendar associated with their personal email for their personal life. That makes perfect sense.
 
They start a business and decide to keep business and personal lives separate (just like when they had a job). So they get a new email account for work, something like [email protected] account. Now there are two calendars.
 
Then (sometimes), they get a “paid domain” email account (e.g., yourdomain.com). Then they get a calendar with that and there are now three places to log into and three places to track.

​CONSOLIDATE EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE
 
If there is resistance to this idea, it’s usually from people who want to keep their “work-life” and “personal life” separate. It's understandable, but since there is only one you and only one place you can be at any one time, it makes more sense to keep everything in one place.
You can even have other people’s calendars show up (with their permission, of course). For example, I can toggle on and off some clients' calendars. This way, we can schedule meetings easier, reducing the confusion.

DECIDE WHICH CALENDAR TO USE

• Open the soon to be obsolete other calendars and transfer your appointments manually or hire someone to migrate them for you. Be sure to look a year ahead so you don’t miss any recurring events, like anniversaries and birthdays that might be months in the future.
• Make sure all calendar invites, sent and received, are done so using the email address tied to this new calendar.
• Ask other calendar owners, like your children, significant others and select clients, to “share” their calendar with you. If you use Google calendar click here for step by step instructions, or click here if you use Outlook.

 

​Today we are talking about How to delegate effectively, which should help you get rid of the overwhelm you might sometimes feel.

DO YOUR RESEARCH
​
It’s important to know what skills are needed by the person you’re going to hire. Just
like hiring an accountant to do your taxes, you’ll want to find someone with expertise.
This may sound obvious, but sometimes small business owners say they are thinking
about hiring very smart friends, but then discover after a few questions they don’t have
any relevant experience. You wouldn’t hire a “very smart friend” who knew nothing
about cars to act as your auto mechanic – delegation of your business needs works
the same way; specific skills are required.
​

​TAKE TIME TO PLAN
 
You’ve got to give the person doing the work enough time to schedule it into their
calendar and get it done. This requires planning ahead.
For example, when you need something done by Friday afternoon, be aware that
handing over the task on Friday morning could be a little late. The person doing the
work for you needs to have time in their schedule, and, of course, time to do the work.
You need to be prepared, too, for the answer to be “no” or “not this week”.
​

​PROVIDE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
 
“Can you handle this?” is not enough information for the person you’re delegating to –
even if it’s a simple and (in your mind) self-explanatory task. Include details, timelines and any supporting information.
For example: “I’m ready to publish my next newsletter. Attached is the word document
and the images I’d like to use. Can we schedule it for this Friday at 6.00 am?” Be
thorough: include deadlines and guidelines about how you’d like the work to be done.

​CREATE CHECK-IN AND CONTROL POINTS
 
If you’ve delegated a project, schedule check-in points for milestones to make sure
things stay on track.
Sometimes there can be misunderstandings about the required tasks even when you
both think you understand. Regular meetings will help with clarification and allow for
adjustments.
​

​DEVELOP A COMMUNICATIVE RELATIONSHIP
 
When you work with someone you are in a relationship with them. You don’t need 
to be "Best Friends Forever", but simple things that work in your other relationships will work in this one too.
A simple, “Thank you – great job,” or “How was your weekend?” will go a long way. Be
sure to answer questions about the project quickly so that it can stay on track and on
time.
Your work together will require conversation – either written or verbal.
​

​I assume that 99% of the time the person assisting you wants to do a good job. If that’s
not happening, check these five points to see where you two might be going off track.
Delegation is a powerful way to leverage your time and get help with areas of your
business where you might not have expertise. Done well, it can be a big win for you
and your business.