|
For most business people 100% of their time is committed to maintaining the status quo. There is no time to spend on building for the future.
Like treading water, they expend all of their energy reacting to the demands of staff, clients, email, phone calls and faxes. Most of these activities follow on from things that started in the past – sometimes the long distant past.
In the Entrepreneurs Success Programme we use a time system which makes sure our use of time is aligned with the goals we are trying to achieve. We have four key days that we book into our schedules in advance.
ESP Leisure Days
24 hours, midnight to midnight, no work, just doing the things you love to do with the people you love to do them with. This is the day we commit to first, because it is our rejuvenation day when we create the energy we need to take us to the next level in our business – and our lives. Michael Schumacher didn’t win any races on an empty tank.
ESP Target Days
To increase productivity, devote one whole business day purely to your #1 Most Profitable Activity. No clearing emails, no phone calls, no supplier meetings, no staff meetings (unless that is your Most Profitable Activity). Create at least one Target Day per week and at the end of any given month you will look back and see that 80% of your results came from these days.
ESP Leverage Days
At least one day a fortnight building the business (as opposed to growing it). This day is for activities which are increasing the saleable value and decreasing its dependence on you. Such activities include planning, working on systems and processes, recruiting and training staff.
ESP Clearing Days
Of course we have to respond to demands from staff and clients – such maintenance activity is necessary to the survival of the business. But if you are to create the time to work on growth, maintenance work needs to be delegated to either specific people or else quarantined (like a virus) to specific times. Don’t let them contaminate the activities that create the real value in your business.
Dr Mike Ashby is Director of Entrepreneur’s Success Programme in Auckland. Log onto the ESP web site and ask for a FREE CD full of techniques for growing your business and balancing your life www.espcoach.co.nz
| 
