6 Steps to Managing Your Time and Professional Image

6 Steps to Managing Your Time and Professional Image…

Are you BOB?

By Michelle Payne Do you know Bob? He‘s the guy who just can’t get it together. When you poke your head into his office you find chaos. He has trinkets all over. A Bobble head doll stares right back at you. His desk and computer have yellow post-em notes all over it. When you look at his billboard you find memos that are over a year old. You see stacks of papers on his desk and on the floor. FedEx boxes are lying around. Gym shoes in the corner. You also notice a taco bell bag scrunched up and lying on top of the heap on the garbage with a little of the sauce dripping from the end…..you thought you smelled something….

When Bob goes to a meeting he is either right on time or a few minutes late. He usually takes the last seat that is available-pulls out his palm pilot, phone, and folders, with papers askew and places them all on the table in front of him. He scrambles for a pen and then realizes he doesn’t have one and asks his neighbor. He smiles at his prospects or clients and gets ready to get involved in the meeting. Bob usually has good things to say and contributes just enough to look good. When the meeting is over he is the first one to dash out the door.

You see, Bob is really busy. He often doesn’t return calls and when he does you need to get the point fast because you can feel Bob on the other end anxious to end the call as soon as possible…he tells you, “I am really busy, slammed in fact…”

Do you know Bob? Better yet, are you Bob, or the female version-Bobbette? You might recognize some of the same qualities that Bob has as your own. Perhaps you’re thinking -I sometimes do that but not all the time and no one notices… WRONG!

I see Bob in people I meet and work with everyday. We could make it a game and say how many opportunities does Bob miss daily. Is Bob so busy that he can’t take advantage of what is right in front of him? What is the benefit for Bob if he slows down and looks at planning to take leverage all that is available to him. What do others see in Bob? Do you want to work with Bob or do business with him? What is the image that he is portraying?

Questions you may ask yourself about Bob:

- Will my papers get lost in his office?

- Can he handle my business?

- Will I get the service I need, when I need it?

Assumptions about Bob:

- Bob is so busy-he doesn’t have time for the new account or client.

- Bob is not prepared and therefore won’t be detailed oriented.

- If I have a problem, I will never get Bob on the phone.

All of these are thoughts you may have had about someone else or someone else has had about you. Do you send the image of a business that will give great service and do you take the time to listen to your clients’ needs?

Image is important, whether Bob is a business owner or employee, he is sending the signal that he can’t handle it and he is unable to give the service needed in this competitive world. Remember this is about image only. But, in the world of business, image is everything.—

Bob may be an expert at what he does, and he may give excellent service but how would anyone know it? Are you ready to risk your business on Bob?

Steps to avoiding being Bob/Bobbette 1. Look at your office and see what your clients, prospects and peers see. What does your office say about how you work?

2. Take time to arrive a few minutes early to a meeting. Scope out the most advantageous seat and look for opportunities to connect and build relationships.

3. Be prepared and look prepared. Don’t come in with papers flying, keys jangling and sweat trickling down your forehead. Pull yourself together and have a pen along with anything else you may need. Make a point of looking neat, tidy and professional.

4. Stay after the meeting. Take this opportunity for business building.

5. Do I even need to say it? Return those phone calls within 24 hours. I am sure it bugs you when people don’t call you back. And, you never know who they know and will tell.

6. You may very well be so busy that you can’t take on one more thing, BUT don’t show it. You never want to miss an opportunity. You can always turn it down, but it is important to have a choice.

Now go clean you office….

"Michelle Payne is Executive Vice President of Beyond Point B, a business coaching and leadership development company in Northern California. She can be reached at mpayne@beyondpointb.com or (916) 787-9909 x3."



6 Steps to Managing Your Time and Professional Image - To learn more about this author, visit Larry Mandelberg's Website.

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