Slow the game down

In a recent game of football, Adelaide versus Geelong, Adelaide had won their past nine games straight using fast run-on football.

To win, Geelong had to slow the game down. They did it by kicking the ball high into the air rather than fast and long. It slowed the game down.

All small business must do the same, slow the game down. You can’t run at other people’s pace. It doesn’t leave time for you to set the agenda.

How small businesses can slow the game down:

• Encourage clients to call the office and not your mobile.
• Answer emails by prioritising, which prevents overuse of your skills and intelligence.
• Give face-to-face communication full attention as this drives more custom.
• Ask people on the phone requesting information to follow up with an email.
• Push emails to a central point, so that the best placed person deals with it.
• Avoid phoning people when you can text or email them.
• Only deal with clients and managers of your suppliers.
• Junk interrupters email.

This allows you to maximise your time working on things that count rather than issues that can be solved by others.

Terry Murphy CPA BBus DFP, Director of TaxAssist Accountants

Last updated: 11th August 2016