Productivity Tip: Know When You’re In the Red
April 11, 2008 by Phil Gerbyshak
Filed under Business
Guest article by Sandy Renshaw
As a new business owner, I find myself doing more than a few pro bono projects for worthy causes and discounted projects for organizations to which I belong.
These projects are making a big dent in the time spent on my regular client work. In my quest to find balance, I now color code my project files. Purple is for client work and red for pro bono/discounted work.
On a daily basis, I can now tell when I’m working “in the red.”
As a manager, perhaps you can relate to this. You spend too much time working on “pet projects” and not enough time focusing on the “big rocks” that really get you ahead of your peers. Take time to color code your calendar, and you can see when YOU’RE in the red.
Photos courtesy of Sandy Renshaw
Sandy Renshaw specializes in helping you build business relationships using the latest Internet-based tools and techniques.
Great tip, Sandy. It’s really such a simple strategy to productivity, like so many time-saving measures are. But often we don’t think of them until someone else mentions them. Thanks for sharing this.
Super idea. Thank you for sharing. I know my wife had the same issues when she was doing pro-bono work for non-profits.
Sandy, that’s a terrific–and simple–way to give a cue re: the profitable use of time. I like it a lot and am going to use it. Period.
I have a little piece of software called “On the Job” that is unbelievably simple to use and unobtrusive. When I get a phone call, start a project, or do anything–I start the timer under the appropriate category. My hourly equivalent rate is built in. Can’t tell you the real-dollar surprise I got after reviewing a day’s worth of free phone advice, free project advice, and lots of other free stuff that seemed inconsequential until the dollar value showed up on the screen.
Now, off to get the purple and red files. . .
Hi Mary Emma, Alex, and Steve,
I’ve been swamped with project work and didn’t even poke my head up until now to see that this was posted. I better read more posts so I have more time for blogging! Thanks for your comments.
I’m curious about the “on the job” software. Off to look for it.
Sandy