Starting all over again

What do they say about even the best laid plans coming unstuck?

I haven't posted in the last 6 weeks and there is a very good reason. I would have been unable to maintain the theme of this site due to the fact that my "perfect lifestyle" has hit a few hurdles of late. I have been buried in work, chasing my tale and unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Sound familiar?

Obviously its something most of us experience and try to cope with every day, but for me it has been a shock to the system after a year or so of idyllic existence.

So what happened?

Firstly the economy has slowed, in case you didn't know, and my business was affected slightly. Nothing terrible but a downturn all the same.

Secondly, my most productive employee left. She was the one I counted on most to get things done and remove stress from my life. She was reliable and hardworking. She also caused friction amongst my other staff (which became more apparent after she left) and may have held the business back a little creatively.

Thirdly, I was in the process of re-organising the business, positioning ourselves in a niche area of the advertising industry for a greater strategic goal when this happened. So I already had a bit of work on my plate.

Fourth, I took a week holiday (planned well in advance with family) when I cold least afford the time.....and got sick.

Fifth, my plan to re-organise the business seems to have been a good one, because we have picked up a lot of new customers and work is flooding in. Problem is that I am the one doing most of it again. That wasn't part of the plan.

End result is that I am largely back where I started. A dynamic and growing business with me stuck in the middle of everything. Its exciting but draining and I know I can't maintain this pace forever.

Fortunately I have been through this before and recognise the signs. In fact, if that one employee hadn't left the situation wouldn't be so bad. Its just that with increased business and a realignment of activities, I am now lacking that one organiser who makes life a lot easier for me. A fault in my big plan? Probably, but also not too hard to fix.

So what am I going to do to get back on track? I am taking my own advice and revisiting everything I did before that led to such a great business and lifestyle.

80/20 all aspects of the business.
Re-assess who are the best 20% of clients who are delivering 80% of the turnover and profits. Currently these clients really constitute the "old" part of my business. They are good clients and they do business that we want, but they are not all necessarily part of our re-imagined future. I am instructing my main manager in this department to devote 80% of her energies to looking after these clients. assist the rest if and when they call, but concentrate on those big producers. For us that is about 6 clients.

Re-assess which 20% of activities in the business (in this case television production and media placement)  deliver 80% of our profits. They will remain the core focus of the "old" part of our business. We won't chase other work in this area.

I am directing my new digital department to concentrate on just two products and services in building their division. we can do plenty more, but we need to get really famous for one or two functions. These are both profitable and easy to duplicate / deliver. They will be a big part of our future.

Practice Parkinson's Law
I have been spending a considerable amount of time in the office and on the laptop at home. I still don't seem to be making headway. I need to limit my time and focus my efforts on the most productive aspects of the business. The more time I spend in the office, the more interruptions I get and the less focussed I am. This must stop.

Delegate tasks
With the loss of the main organiser the staff automatically look to me for more output. It threw us into a little bit of disarray and we are still recovering. New systems must be implemented to make it clear who is doing what and when it must be done. I need to stand back and allocate jobs to my team. I must outsource small tasks that my internal team can't do and I don't wish to do. They can be done efficiently and at small cost by outsourced talent while I concentrate on the bigger picture.

Stay big picture
I have been sucked back down to micro-managing ad performing small tasks. My role should be to stand back and look at the whole business in perspective. Set the course, provide clear directions and get out of the way.

Plan more fun
Currently I am plowing through work during a cold winter. I had a week off in May and was sick the whole time, so I really haven't been having much fun since my previous holiday to Malaysia in March. I need to start planning fun activities again. Currently I am considering doing a week long charity bike ride in NSW in late August. My lapsed workaholic brain is telling me I can't afford the time. My perfect life brain is telling me I can't afford not to. Undecided at this stage.

I am planning to go to Vietnam in early October and Queensland in early November before taking a 2 week break over Christmas. In the meantime I probably should plan a few micro adventures to keep me sane.

So I have a challenging period ahead of me. Can I return to my recent idyllic lifestyle or will I lapse into my old bad workaholic ways? I guess this time round I have learnt how easy it can be to get things on track and under control so I should be able to do it again.

I will keep you posted to see if I am successful.

Comments

[MV]

Hello,

Just found this blog and have been reading some comments. Very good, deep, and interesting.
Thank you and please keep it up!

Best of luck,
M