For those of us with kids, summer can be awesome. It is a chance for our young children to
thrive, have some fun and play. It can
also be a time when “bad” habits can be formed.
For me and our children specifically, some days with too much technical
time, going to bed too late, sleeping in, not hanging up wet suits, “skipping”
baths a bit too much, etc. With school
beginning many of these bad habits have to be broken and a healthier routine
maintained. We try to have a healthy
routine because it affects our grades and how we perform and interact in
school.
In business it is just as easy to develop bad habits that
need to be broken. This month I want to
talk about some bad business habits that should be broken immediately.
“I don’t
have time right now”. We all have the same numbers of hours in each day; it
is how we choose to spend them that separate us from the rest. When you state that you don’t have time it is
usually because you are avoiding something you are not looking forward to. For me, it’s processes and documentation of
processes. We went through a system
conversion 3 months ago and now is the time to re-write our processes. I had the idea of having to do this but it’s
not because I don’t have enough time, it’s because I chose to do something
different. Instead of making excuses, I suggest you make a list of all the
things you’ve been putting off and pick one or two a week to accomplish.
Letting
your mind drift when talking to someone.
This is a tough one for me! In
recruiting I listen to clients talk about what they are seeking and so often I
catch myself thinking of a candidate that might be the perfect fit. I have to catch myself and force myself to
refocus and listen because so often I am hearing what I want to hear, not what
I need to hear. Some tips that I have learned are: maintain eye contact and be
an active listener (engage, acknowledge and repeat back).
You
believe in order for something to be done right you need to do it yourself. I have found that over the years when I get
out of the way and let my team do what they were hired to do, the outcome is so
much better than if I were to have done it. In order to “pass” things off I
have learned that I need to assign projects and provide training then provide
feedback through the process but not take control of the situation.
You
ignore the needs of your body. Burn
out is a real thing for entrepreneurs and business owners and leaders. You need to pay attention to your body and
listen to what it is telling you. If you
are constantly tired, short tempered, and moody or your last checkup was a
disaster; it’s time to make a change. A
car cannot run on empty nor can a person.
You need to fill up on healthy food, get sleep and exercise to reduce
stress. If you fall on the 1st
bad habit, perhaps you should take some time to track how you are spending your
days and evenings. It’s not easy if you
have ignored your health for years but you and everyone around you will benefit
when you starting making healthier choices.
Not
planning ahead. The past cannot be
changed and the future is unknown but the present is the real gift. I love this
phrase but when it comes to business it is imperative that we think ahead. As small business owners and managers we can
find ourselves constantly putting out fires or reacting to the day to day
duties of running our business. However,
if we don’t set aside time to think ahead and plan for the future there might
not be one. Every employee needs to set
time aside to look ahead, review progress and measure where you stand on
goals.
Happy September! Best
of luck to breaking bad habits and to initiating healthy habits into your
personal and professional life.
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