4 answers
Maurice
Student
New Orleans, Louisiana
2
Questions
Asked
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Hows's Your Time Scheduling Being Your Own Boss?
I was asking because i know sometimes bosses of their own company's sometimes lose time to even witness their business prosper and you can create memories with your customers , so I was just wondering is everything you do on a daily basis takes up majority of your time where you can't be with your family, friends , and enjoying life? #ceo #business #entrepreneurship
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4 answers
Ara Kebabjian
Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers
7
Answers
Florham Park, New Jersey
Updated
Ara’s Answer
Work-life balance is a popular topic in today's business world. Regardless if you're an employee for a corporation or an entrepreneur with your own business, time management and balancing priorities is important to success and satisfaction. It's essential to identify all that life and work demand of you and find a way to prioritize it. Life's commitments - both personal and professional - will want your time and attention. What is most important for you - today, next week, next year? For me, I set goals and use "to-do" lists.
My lists identify what needs to be done today / this week, vs. longer term. I use my calendar to designate time for each activity to complete those tasks and achieve those goals, and strive to keep separate personal and work activities separate. For example, block out time to read or do research. Schedule phone calls. Set up a couple time slots during the day to check emails, rather that jumping on your smartphone or computer every time the email chimes. There are studies that now show that multi-tasking is not fruitful and beneficial, and that it actually distracts and reduces the quality of work, even though you may get more things done.
I am also a believer of quality over quantity. Your success depends on how you serve or address the problems of others. Calendaring and prioritizing is key. Set clear boundaries to ensure you are not distracted at work, or block out time for family and make sure you don't let work and emails and other distractions creep into your personal time. Over time, you will become better able to balance these demands, and even realize that there are some things you can just leave along and not do (because there is no value or benefit for you or your career/business).
Ultimately, what you enjoy doing, you do well. By being the best you can be and doing it without distraction and with a spirit of excellence, you will enjoy it, plus you will also be able to impact those around you - clients as well as personal family and friends.
My lists identify what needs to be done today / this week, vs. longer term. I use my calendar to designate time for each activity to complete those tasks and achieve those goals, and strive to keep separate personal and work activities separate. For example, block out time to read or do research. Schedule phone calls. Set up a couple time slots during the day to check emails, rather that jumping on your smartphone or computer every time the email chimes. There are studies that now show that multi-tasking is not fruitful and beneficial, and that it actually distracts and reduces the quality of work, even though you may get more things done.
I am also a believer of quality over quantity. Your success depends on how you serve or address the problems of others. Calendaring and prioritizing is key. Set clear boundaries to ensure you are not distracted at work, or block out time for family and make sure you don't let work and emails and other distractions creep into your personal time. Over time, you will become better able to balance these demands, and even realize that there are some things you can just leave along and not do (because there is no value or benefit for you or your career/business).
Ultimately, what you enjoy doing, you do well. By being the best you can be and doing it without distraction and with a spirit of excellence, you will enjoy it, plus you will also be able to impact those around you - clients as well as personal family and friends.
Rand Hein
High tech & Sales
3
Answers
Updated
Rand’s Answer
When you are your own boss, often scheduling is very difficult and sometimes can be counterproductive. The most important thing to do is think strategically and do a very good job of prioritizing. Learn to differentiate between urgent and important. Anything that is urgent and important should be done before anything that is urgent, but not important. Next, find a way to work on what is important, but not necessarily urgent. This is where scheduling comes it. When you are your own boss, you might find that you have way too many things to do to for the time available. There is never enough. Finally, try to avoid multitasking. This is an easy way to get caught up in the urgent but not important tasks, as well as be very inefficient in getting anything done.
Steve Johnson
product management expert, speaker, author, coach
45
Answers
Gainesville, Virginia
Updated
Steve’s Answer
Most business owners struggle with a life-work balance but then, I think most working people do too.
In some cases, small business owners feel trapped. They rely on the business for income but, when the business isn't doing very well, they work more hours. In other cases, when the business is doing well, owners get caught up in running the business—dealing with all the operations, sales, and customer issues. Sometimes it takes hiring a person to take over these daily duties so the owner can focus on growing the business.
In my case, I am stringent in scheduling my time. Everything goes on my calendar including appointments and phone calls but also alone time for just me. I block time on my calendar for thinking. Furthermore I break my mental sessions into categories. One day I'll focus on selling, another day on promotion, then maybe development or operations issues. During those blocked times, I don't respond to email or inbound phone calls. I disconnect from everything.
I try to allocate time to work on the business, not just in the business.
In some cases, small business owners feel trapped. They rely on the business for income but, when the business isn't doing very well, they work more hours. In other cases, when the business is doing well, owners get caught up in running the business—dealing with all the operations, sales, and customer issues. Sometimes it takes hiring a person to take over these daily duties so the owner can focus on growing the business.
In my case, I am stringent in scheduling my time. Everything goes on my calendar including appointments and phone calls but also alone time for just me. I block time on my calendar for thinking. Furthermore I break my mental sessions into categories. One day I'll focus on selling, another day on promotion, then maybe development or operations issues. During those blocked times, I don't respond to email or inbound phone calls. I disconnect from everything.
I try to allocate time to work on the business, not just in the business.
When I was a full time freelancer, I still worked 9am to 5 pm because most of my clients did. That doesn't mean that I didn't check my email at other times or didn't work more hours than that basic structure. It means that was the time that I was most attentive to my email and was the time range I used to schedule my calls in. Was the time I'd do my catch up on billing, website updates, redesigning my business card, social media posts, etc.
Setting clear time boxed boundaries helped me keep some balance between work mode self and down time self. Down time self is a hard self to be friends with when you work for yourself. But you need to know that self! If you don't watch it, you'll think about work 24-7 and burn yourself out.
Martha Denton
David Pelan
Process Improvement Manager
16
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
David’s Answer
If you are a business owner you are the most accountable for your customer's, and your team so it requires a high level of commitment.
I think the biggest challenge for business owners is prioritization and delegation. In any business building a trusted team is critical. Many entrepreneurs I have read about are huge advocates for hiring to their weaknesses. If you are a great Marketer you may require help with admin/HR components of your business.
As far as scheduling pursue a business that aligns with your talents and passion, and the time you spend pursuing your goals will not be an issue.
David recommends the following next steps: