NEW: Samantha McDonald

Making choices between personal and business imperatives can be tricky – here are a few tips.

Not happy Jan?

One of my clients – let’s call her Jan – had to make a choice last weekend. 

Her mother was turning 60 and had a fabulous lunch arranged for all her close friends and family. The only problem was, Jan had accidentally scheduled a meeting with a prospective client of her own, who was only in the state for a few days, and it coincided beautifully with her Mum’s birthday lunch… Uh oh…

Her mother was understandably upset when Jan told her of her double booking, and Jan felt terrible, but she also knew that this prospective client meant a great deal to her business, and so she had a huge internal tug-of-war going on.

Has this happened to you? Here are some tips to get through this situation:

1. Weigh up the value of each “booking” – Okay, your Mum’s birthday may not mean dollars in your bank, but missing it may mean a lifetime of snide remarks or hurt feelings. After all, a birthday milestone like this is only reached once. Is this just a “getting to know you” meeting with a prospective client, and can it be put off? Weighing up your options, and even writing down the pros and cons, can be very helpful in determining which one you put up the top of your priority list.
2. Make alternative arrangements with the “losing” party – If you decide to go to your Mum’s party, call your client and explain that you’ve double booked, completely by accident, and that your Mum will absolutely kill you if you don’t go to her party. More often than not, people understand about that… If you decide to see your client instead, call your Mum and say that you’ll take her out for a special dinner to celebrate her milestone.
3. Do both if you can – If your client is only in town for a few days, they may not be able to completely reschedule, so try asking them if you can meet an hour earlier. That way, you can be sure to have a great meeting, without rushing, and still get to your Mum’s party, even if it’s a little bit late.

Good luck! Making choices between business and personal arrangements can sometimes be tricky. Hopefully you make the right choice!

If you have a conflict like this or any other work/life balance issue you would like some advice on, please email your questions to me via the comments field below and I will answer them in my blog.  

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