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4. Train yourself If your business does take off and you're suddenly busier than you have ever been in your life, it is hard to justify
"down time" necessary to learn new things. After all, you're learning by doing, and if you're like me, you learn well that way, so why do anything else? There are a number of different types of learning that take place in a business - I strongly advocate that you step away from work at least periodically and invest time and money in one of them. For example, if you learn well by reading books, be sure to budget in your business for a book allowance. Perhaps once a month, you treat yourself to a new book that will teach you something you can apply to business. But be sure to budget TIME for reading it! Make a commitment to yourself that you will stop working early one night a week, to give yourself a couple hours to read. Turn off phone, step away from computer, go in another room or out of house and do it. If you work on computers, grant yourself two hours at end of every Wednesday for play time - no work, just time to teach yourself a new trick or read a tutorial and see if you can do it. The same idea applies to seminars, or training classes - figure out what applies to your line of work, and budget time and money for it.
You have to really discipline yourself but rewards are bountiful. You don't want to be kind of boss that only gives lip service to employee development, now do you?
5. Take time to smell roses When you work for someone else, you are probably chained to a desk or a cube for most of day, looking longingly out window, wishing you were a squirrel, right? Maybe thats just me. Still, for most employees, on those afternoons when your brain just doesn't want to punch back in from lunch, you are stuck, sitting there, waiting for something to change. But if you're boss, you have an option - so exercise it!
Take a walk or a run. Get your grocery shopping out of way. Nap a little. Putter in garden. Or just go sit in park and throw bread at those squirrels. It doesn't matter what you do - as long as its NOT work, and assuming you're disciplined enough to not make a habit out of it, and reel yourself back in eventually. You might even consider scheduling a weekly or biweekly outing for lunch with friends or old coworkers, to get you out of house and socialized every so often! The best part of allowing yourself this time is that when you do come back, you're going to be fresher, sharper, and more ready to work than if you had sat there whole day, waiting for dryer lint to clear itself from your head.
I was recently working on a tough logo design project, and after getting up at 7 a.m., sketching all morning and coming up with 1-2 good ideas, I was stuck… I needed 4-5 thumbnail ideas, and I had NO ideas. So, my inner boss gave me permission to check out. I went shopping. Left house, to go buy paper, and pens, and a few other things I needed at Office Max. I had to do these things eventually anyway and by going for a drive, and giving myself a break from logo conceptualization, I was being a good boss to myself. When I got home, I didn't even go right back to work - I fixed dinner, watched TV for a while and then BAM! Suddenly, it hit me… I had an awesome idea… wonderful ideas… and I went back in my office after dinner, to jot them down. Being somewhat self disciplined (see #2) I didn't work on them then - but sprang out of bed next morning, and in a few hours, had a whole set of great concepts to show my client.
Creative people need this more than anyone but anyone who needs ideas, inspiration or clarity can benefit. The brain works best if it is given a rest, and allowed to go ponder other things. Have you ever tried to remember something, and couldn't - until you stopped trying to remember? It's same idea. I've found that making outing or experience new or different can benefit even more - just people watching or wandering through museum down street provides enough stimulous to kick my brain back into gear.
Looking back across my five pieces of advice, I must admit that I know all of these are easier said than done. Be gentle with yourself and only try to force one new good boss behavior on yourself at a time. Really work at it because if you apply all of them, at least half time, you won't wonder at times if a rotten boss that comes with a steady paycheck is a better option. Good luck and let me know if these tips work for you!
Eileen is the owner of SOHO It Goes!, a virtual business supporting entrepreneurs and small business through technology and design.
