Written some time ago whilst on a train somewhere between Didcot and Swindon.
I’m en-route to South Wales. Joining me in this carriage are about, oh I’d say, fifteen very excited school girls off to South Wales for four days.
They are like bottles of pop! Enjoying each others company, snacking away, laughing, giggling, planning when to eat lunch and playing top trumps. And all the while the self-elected leader is bossing everyone around.
I’m sitting with my back to them with a burning deadline – I need to develop a marketing plan for a new client. I’d planned to do the preliminary work on the train today, but since my company arrived, I’ve been ‘reduced’ to enjoying the views and much amusement at these very self-important and excited young ladies! It’s going to be a late one tonight in order to get the job done because I have a full day of client delivery planned for tomorrow.
The moral of the story is always expect the unexpected when it comes to time management. Deadlines are deadlines, not targets! Allow space in your diary for that all essential ‘wiggle room’ when gaggles of girls, traffic jams and technology failure bites you, and bites you hard.
Marketing has to happen if you want your business to keep up with your customers, competitors and grow. Don’t let poor time management get in the way.
…… And now they’ve started to sing ….
