Working either as a professional adviser or business owner creates a huge working agenda.
There are conflicting demands and a wide variety of activities requiring an extensive range of skills and knowledge. If you run the business and also advise clients this is a real challenge. Making best use of time and meeting all the deadlines is difficult to beat but it can be managed.
There are many techniques for time management and, as always, different approaches suit different people.
Many people make use of “diary blocking” to take charge of how their time is allocated. It is not perfect and circumstances may mean you have to break the rules sometimes but at least blocking provides a start and a framework.
The main time blocks, typically set as half or full days are:
- Client work and meetings
- Administration and management
- Personal and professional development
- Conferences, networking and external meetings
- Staff meetings and communication
You need to decide how many of these you need in a single month and then allocate accordingly. Make sure your colleagues understand your approach, particularly those who have access to your diary and make appointments for you.
David Shelton is the author of “The Business of Advice” book and website www.businessofadvice.co.uk
