Learning to prioritize client needs is important for business | May 17th 2006
By Jacqueline Dooley
This past month I discovered I simply cannot say no to incoming work, regardless of the source. This has led me down a path of long days, late nights and exhaustion.
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve had a somewhat idealistic view of my own work day. I love the freedom of self-employment and the challenge of working on multiple projects simultaneously. My ego loves winning new jobs and being associated with the word “entrepreneur.”
The idealism bubble burst the other day, however, during a conversation with a client who said while he loved my work, he was a bit frustrated I wasn’t actually doing any of it for him.
This gave me pause. It forced me to realize I’d over-promised my time and was unable to deliver what was expected of me — a chronic problem that has begun cropping up more than I’d like to admit.
Why is this happening? Why can’t I say no to new work when I have plenty to keep me busy, my family fed and my children outfitted in the latest Target and Old Navy T-shirts? The truth is there’s an uncomfortable feeling I can’t seem to shake regardless of how much work I take on.
Fear is a factor
While I do not enjoy the ever-present crush of my growing workload and the discomfort of feeling guilty every moment I’m away from my computer, what motivates me to take on more work than I can reasonably juggle in a 40-hour week is fear — plain and simple.
My fear comes from being entirely on my own in a vast corporate landscape filled with people who have titles, benefits and some level of job security. Even though I love working on multiple projects for multiple companies, and I really love being my own boss, I am afraid when the current month ends, I will lose the “big” job and then where will I be?
This is essentially a very sound way to think when you are working for yourself. No one wants to rely on one egg, after all. But dividing my hours into too many portions is beginning to backfire. I’m not able to do a great job on any one project. I’m pushing deadlines to their limit and beyond. I am beginning to fantasize about how great it’d be to focus on one or two projects at a time, rather than 10 to 12.
It’s all up to me
Since I am the sole employee of my own vast empire, I have no one to fall back on for support. I’m not only responsible for the “production” aspect of my job, I am also responsible for continuing to maintain my expertise in my field and market my business.
Choices are not always easy. I’m beginning to realize I must walk away from some absolutely fantastic opportunities so I can continue to do a great job for my existing clients. In getting some less-than-positive feedback, I was forced to take a look at the level of service I was delivering and acknowledge it was not what I promised.
A hiring agent who I work with gave me some sage advice not too long ago. He said the best way to keep a gig going was to make myself indispensable — live in the moment and focus on one job at a time.
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This article was published in the Poughkeepsie Journal under the title, “Learning to say no as job offers pour in makes life easier” on Saturday, May 13th, 2006.