I get question after question about time management.
Pretty much everyone I talk to has more work than he or she can handle. Everybody is on overload.
I typically approach giving time management advice by asking questions (of course, that really irritates people, but it’s what I do).
I ask about receivables. How much are you owed? How old are the receivables?
I get weird looks when I ask those questions since we’re supposed to be talking about time management.
Then I ask about billing rates. How much are you charging per hour? Are you charging fixed fees? Are you really billing for everything you do?
What becomes clear, nearly every single time, is that we don’t really have a time management problem.
We have a “not getting paid for what you’re doing” problem.
People with time management issues almost always say “I’m working like crazy and I’m not making much money.” That’s the real problem. It’s about money. It’s not about time.
Why are these folks so busy? Because they’re working for free (or close to it). They’re not getting paid for what they’re doing.
The solution isn’t about managing time: it’s about managing money.
You see, when you’re actually getting paid for the work you’re doing, you don’t have a time management problem. When you’re getting paid, you have the resources you need (staff) or you have the money you need to feel comfortable turning away clients.
I can dig up recycled time management tips all day and feed them to you here. But that won’t solve your problem.
The key is to deal with the “not getting paid for what you’re doing” problem. The time management issue will take care of itself.
