How Time Flies When You’re Having Fun
As I find myself encamped in the hotel lobby awaiting my next appointment I’m allowed a little time to reflect on the past 3 or so months with Propertyserve… yes, 3 months already. My journeys have seen me travel to Stirling, Birmingham, Edinburgh, London, Teeside, as well as nearer to home in Leeds, Manchester and Shipley to name a few, and serve to highlight the vast coverage of Propertyserve UK and its supply chain.
The team has now been completed with the arrival of Ricky Nelson as the southern contract manager allowing David Lackenby to move into his new role as quality manager. In the near future we will be working closely together to identify pinch points, plan ahead as well as providing ideas for continued improvement.
I can’t help but be reflective in relation to time and at this moment reminds me of a director I worked with previously who opened my eyes to time management. We had many discussions regarding this topic with one comment sticking in my mind which I would like to share with you:
“Treat time as a management tool, an asset to be used and managed wisely. This in turn will allow you to work smarter, not longer”
I see a link which fits in well with the recent blog released by Chris MacDonald in relation to employee well-being. To allow us to manage time we need to be motivated, fresh and engaged. I have seen and experienced first-hand the employee welfare package available to all of Propertyserve’s employees. The need for breakout space, small reward, fitness incentives, the provision of fresh food and drink in addition to quiet areas to ensure minimal distraction are all elements which often are neglected. Yet these directly impact on morale and, subsequently, performance. Believe me, in the past I fell foul to the ethos that working longer was the answer. Sometimes we just need to reflect, discuss and adapt the way we operate to achieve the correct balance. This in itself is not an easy task given the demands and pressures we find, but it can be achieved and is sometimes simply a change of mindset.
I often hear people discuss work/life balance being difficult to achieve. I believe that the benefits currently being offered to myself and my colleagues can only help conquer this, at the same time ensuring we are all prepared mentally and physically in the various service lines we offer to our clients. Needless to say, a happy workforce is, more often than not, an efficient workforce.
I have once again been astounded with the dedication shown not only by the front line troops, but by the management team’s commitment to ensure our workforce is motivated, empowered and rewarded.
I will leave you with the following quote to help you when time is taking control of your day:
“Either you run the day, or the day runs you”
Richard Parkin – Regional Contracts Manager, North