February 2009 - Issue 58 - www.clareevans.co.uk

Welcome to all new subscribers.

Hello ,

Welcome to all new subscribers since last month, especially if you found me through Twitter.

Down on the south coast, we had the heavy snowfall at the beginning of last week that brought the whole area to a standstill but it was all gone by the following day and we've had nothing since.  The rest of the country has been harder hit and to those of you in countries who are used to winter conditions you're probably wondering what all the fuss is about.  How has your business been impacted?

I've been more active on Twitter during the last month, partially because access to my other online network was frustratingly slow, restricted, abortive or non-existent, depending on which part of the technology was playing up, so I was still able to stay in touch.

Through a recent tweet I've also found the charity I'm supporting this year through sales of my book. Last year raised just over £50 for Cancer Research and this year I'm raising money for Gambian Enterprise. If you're purchasing the book or recommend it to your friends and colleagues, please use the Amazon link on my website.

In less than two weeks I'm running the Brighton Half Marathon. Having not done nearly enough training, I'm going for completion rather than a record time.  Anyway there'll be a good crowd in Brighton to support a group of us who are getting together to run, whether or not we all make it on the day.

As usual, keep in touch with what I'm up to and get extra tips from my blog  http://www.clareevans.blogspot.com or Follow Me on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/clareevans and keep up-to-date automatically.

Enjoy the rest of this month's newsletter.

Clare

Other People's Deadlines

It's been that time of year when accountants, book-keepers and anyone involved in Tax has been busily working away to meet the January 31st deadline.

For various reasons, people leave things to the last minute and in the worst instance will turn up with a carrier bag full of receipts and expect a complete set of accounts within a matter of days!

It's a common theme that I've encountered, been on the receiving end of and seen happening in many different industries, not just at tax-year end. Other people imposing their deadlines on you.

They may be your client or customer but the fact that they need a particular piece of work completed by some unrealistic date isn't your problem it's theirs. Don't make it yours.

Usually, it's because their own lack of planning and preparedness has resulted in them finding themselves up against a deadline they didn't expect, hadn't planned for or had forgotten about and they then pass this on to you.

There are a few things you can do, after you've suggested they give me a call.

- Negotiate the deadline. Do they really need it by tomorrow morning? If you ask, you may find that actually they can cope with a couple of extra days.

- If you always respond and get the work done, they will continue to behave this way and expect you to drop everything each time. Now this might be great customer service and you don't want to lose them but is it the best way for you to work?

- Set expectations and boundaries upfront. Agree what needs to be delivered and when. Get it in writing so when they want to change things you know.

- Create some slack and work backwards. If you need to complete a piece of work by a certain date.  Know when you need any input, what needs to happen when and get it as early as you can, so if things do get delayed or turn up late, you're not under pressure.

- Sometimes it's just the nature of your work. In which case, don't cram your day so full of activities, that when something 'crops up' you have no flexibility to play with.

- Be clear about what your timeframes are - of course, you then need to be able to meet these. Don't agree to a piece of work until you know what's involved and whether you have the time, resources and skill to do it. Don't set yourself unrealistic deadlines in the first place.

- If you are juggling priorities - take some direction. Speak to the people involved. If your boss or customer has given you yet another piece of urgent work - ask which one they want first, which one is the most important to them?

- Communication is key. If you tell them what you want and when and they tell you what they want and when, there's less likelihood that you'll end up working to their deadlines. Check progress along the way so you know what to expect and whether you or they are still on track.

If you have certain clients or customers who are always imposing their last minute deadlines on you and creating extra work, consider if you want to continue working with them. Is it still worth the added pressure and stress?

You can find out more about how to deal with deadlines, setting boundaries and saying no, on www.clareevans.co.uk/articles.htm or by attending one of the monthly teleclasses.

Until next month

Follow me on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/clareevans