Senior business leaders and entrepreneurs often struggle to balance the competing interests at play between their personal and professional lives, not to mention private self-care endeavors, often to the detriment of all three. To ensure a meaningful, fulfilling and productive experience in each of these areas—with clients, partners, shareholders, stakeholders, friends, family and loved ones (including oneself)—professionals need to master the art of syncing schedules.
Coaches, in particular, must learn how to sync their schedules with those of others to meet client needs while preserving the time they need to focus on their own priorities. Below, 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council share their best tips for doing just that.
Forbes Coaches Council members share schedule-syncing tips for meeting everyone's needs (including yours).
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Dedicate Times To Working Both In And On Business
Setting yourself up for success starts with creating dedicated times to work in and on your business. For example, I hold each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for client and prospect sessions, while Monday is for me to work on my business: team meetings, planning, finance, marketing, projects and so on. Friday is reserved for projects, scheduled events, travel and such. Structure makes for clarity! - David Taylor-Klaus, DTK Coaching, LLC
2. Have The Courage To Transparently Change Priorities
Set your priorities and always be aware of what influences and determines your sequence of priorities at that moment. Have the courage to change your priorities if you feel you want to and stand up for what serves you best. Being courageous means that as you feel you need to set your priorities, you also verbalize that and make it transparent for all who are important to you. - Judit Ábri von Bartheld, CHN LLC - Coaching Without Borders Hungary (Coaching Határok Nélkül)
3. Sync All Of Your Daily Activities In Your Calendar
The complexity of scheduling time with clients, partners, stakeholders and loved ones is, and will always be, exactly that—complex. However, it isn’t impossible. I’ve found that I’m able to meet others’ needs as well as preserve my own agenda by having my calendar synced. I literally have the times I eat, the times I work out, the times I meditate and my calls all scheduled into my calendar. - Carlos Then, Mr Then Consulting LLC
4. Schedule Your Priorities In Your Diary/To-Do List
Schedule your priorities in your diary/to-do list, as this gives them the same importance as all your other tasks—it elevates their importance in your mind. Also, remember that your priorities don’t have to happen in 30- or 60-minute blocks. You can schedule micro-moments where you tend to that which is important to you in chunks, such as 10 minutes to call a loved one or 15 minutes to check a job website. - Palena Neale, unabridged
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. Say “No” To Low Priorities And Save ‘Shiny Objects’ For Later
Avoid shiny object syndrome. If you cannot avoid shiny objects, save and schedule them. Say “no” to low priorities and stay focused, focused, focused. - Natasha Charles, Intuitive Coaching with Natasha Charles
6. Maintain Free Space In Your Schedule
Always have free space in your schedule for the day, week and month. As Parkinson’s law explains, work has a way of expanding to fill the time allotted for it. The empty space in your schedule allows you to fill it with the pressing demands of others as well as your own that are bound to come up. If not, you can always pull activities from the future up into the present and finish them in advance. - Vinesh Sukumaran, Vinesh Sukumaran Consulting
7. Block Out Personal Time And Other Top Priorities First
Blocking out a schedule is the most effective way to stay focused and productive. Honor your own rhythms and let your people know when you’re typically available for meetings, sessions or work commitments. Make sure you block out personal time and anything else that is a priority first, as this will allow you to be present and energized when engaging with your people. - Nicole Brant-Zawadzki, BZ Coaching
8. Establish And Honor Professional Boundaries
Be clear-eyed about your core values, which should inform your key priorities. Be sure to block out time for those priorities and be committed to making them happen. Sometimes, this means you will need to be willing to say “no” to opportunities that may conflict with those values or priorities. Establish and communicate clear professional boundaries, and honor the boundaries of those you work with. - Jonathan H. Westover, Human Capital Innovations, LLC
9. Focus On Energy Management Versus Time Management
I focus on energy management versus time management. First, understand when you’re most productive doing strategic versus administrative work and most present for your clients or loved ones. Then, block out your calendar knowing when your energy is best suited for an activity. Finally, be sure these activities align with your values. Your ideal clients and loved ones will get the best of you. - Rosie Guagliardo, InnerBrilliance Coaching
10. Keep Your Schedule Responsive To The Season
I try to keep my schedule responsive to the season. At certain times of the year, family time and events take up a lot of my energy. Other times, clients, business projects or exciting new initiatives take a lot of my focus. I try to plan my schedule so my focused energy is best used for the priority of the season. I get better outcomes with flexibility than with rigidity. - Randy Shattuck, The Shattuck Group
11. Take Care Of Yourself Before Others
Put yourself first. You have to nourish yourself and your own business before meeting the demands of others. We want our businesses to grow, and you can only do that if you take care of yourself and your business first. You can still be accommodating and flexible, but with a set of boundaries for yourself as well. - Lauren Najar, Lauren Najar Coaching LLC
12. Organize Daily Items In One, Digital Place
Time is priceless because once spent, you can't get it back. A great tip for syncing your schedule with clients, family, partners and others is to focus on organizing daily items in one place. A digital calendar for personal and professional use helps to maintain structure and balance. Finally, prioritize time in your schedule for personal goals and self-care, which must be treated as nonnegotiables. - Lori A. Manns, Quality Media Consultant Group LLC
13. Sync Schedules With Others Using Google Calendar
One of the best tips for syncing your schedule is to use a tool such as Google Calendar. This can help you see when other people are free and make sure that you’re able to meet their needs while still reserving time for your own priorities. Google Calendar can also be helpful in keeping track of deadlines and other important dates. - Peter Boolkah, The Transition Guy
14. Work Out Your Best Power Routine And Block Time For It
Work out your best power routine and block it out in your calendar. Observe your energy as you go through various activities and determine your acceptable energy level as you progress through the day. Technologically, I synchronize all my client bookings using one calendar, and it gives me the flexibility to add in “rest slots” as the bookings change, ensuring I show up at my best for clients. - Chuen Chuen Yeo, ACESENCE Agile Leadership Coaching and Training Pte. Ltd.
15. Let Technology Help You Control Your Schedule
As a business and life coach, I let technology help me control my schedule. For me, only taking coaching calls on certain days of the week and at certain times really helps me balance my business and personal life. I use a website that only allows openings for coaching calls during certain times on certain days. My clients get to pick what works best for them. - Jessica Stroud, The Lady CEO
