Many talented business owners in our industry find themselves spending more time putting out fires than doing what they do best…making deals. Here are a couple of suggestions to help get you out of fire fights and back at the deal table.
1) If you want something to get done, schedule a time to do it.
Studies show you are far more likely to complete a task, when you schedule a time to perform that task. If you find yourself struggling to get anytime to work “on” your business, start by blocking off a regular time each week. It could be just a few hours when you start. Your activity during this block could include a combination of both exploring new ideas to bring to your business and going out into the public to solicit and close new accounts. Do not allow anything to interfere with this time. If you are able, find a way to get out of the office so you can not be interrupted.
2) Get to the source of the problem immediately and eliminate it.
Putting out fires is a productivity killer and extremely expensive. We find owners often overlook how much it costs them, the most valuable and expensive talent in their business, to be in a constant fire fight. The source could be any number of things: a disruptive or weak employee, a cash flow challenge, a conflict between your dispatcher and your chauffeurs, etc. If you can not identify exactly what the source of the problem is, or if you know what the source is but don’t know how to address it, get professional help immediately. The sooner you can eliminate the fire fights, the sooner you can get back to making deals.
