If you provide services for lots of clients, I bet you have a few that always give you grief and cause you stress. You know the type. They give you information days, weeks after you gave them a deadline for it. They have weeks to let you know they need some information from you but ring at the last possible moment to ask you for it. Having had huge notice they ring you the day before to demand you prepare something “by tomorrow please”.
And, you being you, agree to do whatever is needed and burn the midnight oil to get it done. “After all”, you think, “We’ve got to give great service to our clients.” So you lose relaxation time and suffer their stress for them.
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I always remember one of my guiding gurus periodically letting us know how he did business… and we could like it or lump it. And, of course, because he was great at what he did we played by his rules.
One firm policy he had still remains with me to this day… don’t ask me to make your deadlines my deadlines. He added that he would never agree to our deadlines, he would deliver in his own time. So, if you wanted something, give him good notice.
And we abided by that rule! So why not try letting those pesky clients know your rules.
It’s a stress saver!
Great advice. People who slice into YOUR TIME as usually disorganised. They can’t manage their own time and deadlines. So they try to move their stress on to you. No thanks.
Right on Brian! Thanks!