Preparation – A key for life and Business
Preparation is according to Merriam Webster ‘the action or process of making something ready for use or service or of getting ready for some occasion, test, or duty.’
I was profoundly struck by the comments made by a friend of ours over the weekend. He said two things. “These people actually listen to me and they are interested not just in what I say but in me as a person!”
- They listen to me!
- They show interest in me!
The comments struck me for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I have worked hard over years to cultivate the art of listening to others. That process is not finished yet. However, I realise that in order to hear people clearly you need to become interested in who people are first of all. Our clients and customers are a priority. If this is true then we need to learn how to genuinely help people.
Business is About People
I think that’s how it is when we embark on marketing and developing our own business. We need to be in business for the people. Think about that. You make a call to a company and have the person on the other end give you the patter. How do you feel about that when you put the phone down. You walk into an office or shop and talk with the salesperson. They are distracted, disinterested, inattentive and maybe even off hand. They treat your polite question as an affront.
We either build the foundation of our business on a solid or unreliable foundation. You know which one is the best. Preparation is a key element of the process of any business. It is always the preparation that is the hardest part.
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” – Stephen Covey
A Day in the Life
In running your construction business you will be committed to ‘getting it right!’ But, there will be times when you feel like there is just too much to do and too little time to do it! Do you ever feel like that? I am sure most of us do.
If you are honest with yourself you may fall into one of these two situations.
- Life is just so busy that I am feeling overwhelmed.
- I have not learned to differentiate, in practice, between the urgent and the important!
Where do I start?
By definition, the word ‘preparation’ means “the action or process of preparing or being prepared for use or consideration”
- Start each day by preparing yourself for what the day holds for you. Think about each important aspect of the coming day or week. Key meetings, deadlines and goals.
- Use a Journal or Diary to write down your aspirations for the week. Learn to distinguish between the urgent and the important.
- Don’t be afraid to Plan your week. One of my key statements is ‘Plan your Marketing’ and then ‘Market your Plan’
- Review at the end of the day or week and make adjustments as you move along. You will not always get it right but implement your plans and measure their success.
This process will take time but you will become more purposeful in your life and business as a result.
