In the first part of this article (“Omnipresence” vs. “Omni-availability” Part 1) I asked you, “Are you always available for your client? Do you take calls in the middle of dinner, during your birthday party, and on your vacation?” We looked at how to evaluate the cost of running your business at times when you feel you should be available but maybe it doesn’t make financial sense. Today I want to get you thinking about what is important to your time.
If you want to be able to set boundaries for how and when you do your business you first have to know what your boundaries are. Go through this list and define your negotiable and non-negotiable activities.
- What time is yours? – Non-negotiable!
- Volunteer time
- Church
- Family dinner
- Time at gym
- Date night
- What time is always for work? (BNI meetings, chairman, client time)
- What times are set aside as negotiable work times? (e.g. Saturday’s mornings)
- What are you willing to tolerate?
- Social media on Sunday’s?
- Meetings on other evenings?
- Working through the night?
- Travel?
- What are you not willing to tolerate
- Cell calls during dinner?
- Meetings in your home office?
- Interruptions while you’re on a call?
Now share this with your family, friends, partners, and clients. Make your business boundaries understood for your business associates and your personal and business boundaries accepted by your closest supporters.
- Post it
- Ask for their support and help
- Get their input
- Compromise if needed to support your partners and family, but then make the compromise the boundary.
Let us know what your boundaries are. Share in the comments below.
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