Getting out of the Office presents us with numerous options. Some are more obvious than others. And some may take considerable digging to identify. To repeat yesterday's theme, that is why beginning with the end in mind is so important. If I know what I want to do, I can start looking for the best way to do it.
The Internet certainly makes it much easier to discover new processes, services, and ideas. It is such a useful and powerful tool that I sometimes wonder how I ever survived without it. But it is only a tool, and like any tool, its usefulness is ultimately determined by the skills and imagination of the user.
Search engines are a prime example. There are many keywords that one can choose when conducting a search. And, while most search engines are somewhat intuitive, they can only utilize the information entered. For example, if I enter "paint" in Google, the first page is primarily manufacturers. However, if I enter "paint contractor" I get entirely different results. This may seem obvious, but it has big implications.
Let's say I decide that my goal is to work from home. This is a pretty vague goal, and could mean virtually anything. Am I going to operate my own business? If so, what kind? Am I simply going to telecommute? If so, for whom? Am I going to stuff envelopes, or operate some kind of phone service, or what? I could do any of these and work at home. Because my goal is so vague, the options are almost unlimited.
But if I decide my goal is to write 30 hours a week, while operating my paint contracting business remotely, I have really narrowed things down. I now know specifically what I am shooting for, and the options also narrow.
But even with a very specific goal, I still need to discover what options are available for dealing with the myriad issues that will arise. For example, what options are available that will allow me to access customer information remotely? Which leads to another questions-- how do I find out?
While this example is relatively simple, it illustrates a bigger issue. It can be quite easy to limit ourselves to false alternatives, to give ourselves fewer options than really exist. The result may a solution that is inadequate, or worse, abandonment of our goal because the options do not seem realistic.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Begin with the End in Mind
Yesterday I mentioned the importance of identifying the goal of Getting out of the Office, that is, what we want the business to look like in the end. The same applies to Getting out of the Bucket--what do you want your business to look like when you are no longer painting each day.
Identifying the end is important in several respects. Most importantly, it provides direction and and gives us a destination. If we don't know where we are going, how will we know when we get there? Also, it provides us with a certain psychological motivation. If we can envision our goal, that goal becomes more real. In a sense, we get a certain experience of it, which can help move us forward.
For me, Getting out of the Office is the means to another end. I want to spend more time writing magazine articles, and perhaps a book. This requires large segments of uninterrupted time, which is hard to get sitting in an office with a phone ringing every 20 minutes. I would also like to do more traveling, both for pleasure and for researching writing assignments.
These goals necessitate the need to have procedures that allow me to spend minimal time communicating with customers and field personnel, while simultaneously keeping everyone informed. And I need to be able to do this whether I am working in my home office or I am out of town.
Identifying my end goals has allowed me to identify the issues that I must address. For example, how will phone calls be handled? How will appointments be scheduled? How will I access customer files remotely? How will we prepare job folders and schedule jobs if we are out of town? By beginning with the end in mind, I now have a better idea of how I will get there. And I will certainly have a lot fewer surprises along the way.
Identifying the end is important in several respects. Most importantly, it provides direction and and gives us a destination. If we don't know where we are going, how will we know when we get there? Also, it provides us with a certain psychological motivation. If we can envision our goal, that goal becomes more real. In a sense, we get a certain experience of it, which can help move us forward.
For me, Getting out of the Office is the means to another end. I want to spend more time writing magazine articles, and perhaps a book. This requires large segments of uninterrupted time, which is hard to get sitting in an office with a phone ringing every 20 minutes. I would also like to do more traveling, both for pleasure and for researching writing assignments.
These goals necessitate the need to have procedures that allow me to spend minimal time communicating with customers and field personnel, while simultaneously keeping everyone informed. And I need to be able to do this whether I am working in my home office or I am out of town.
Identifying my end goals has allowed me to identify the issues that I must address. For example, how will phone calls be handled? How will appointments be scheduled? How will I access customer files remotely? How will we prepare job folders and schedule jobs if we are out of town? By beginning with the end in mind, I now have a better idea of how I will get there. And I will certainly have a lot fewer surprises along the way.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Getting Out of the Office
Last week I wrote about the Four Hour Workweek and stated my intention to spend less time on my contracting business in 2009. As I work through this process I will share how I address the issues that arise, the tools I use to do so, and some of the procedures and processes I develop. While my goal may be different from yours, the same principles apply to Getting out of the Bucket as to Getting out of the Office.
My wife works with me in the office, so Getting out of the Office applies to both of us. Doing so will require some changes in our business, such as communications with customers, accessing information, scheduling, etc. Addressing these issues, and developing procedures is our primary goal for the next several months.
We have several motivations for Getting out of the Office. The most important is that we would like to spend more time pursuing other interests. It is difficult to do this when tethered to an office.
We have considered selling the business but see no real reason to do so. We make a pretty decent income while working part-time. Maintaining a business that generates semi-passive income simply makes the most financial sense at this point.
As I mentioned, the principles involved in this are essentially the same as Getting out of the Bucket. In both situations there is a need to maintain operations while the owner is not omnipresent. This presents numerous challenges, and while the details of those challenges differ, the same basic approach applies-- develop systems and procedures.
Our first step in this process is identifying our end goal, that is, what we want to accomplish and what we want our business to look like in the end. In other words, we first need to know where we are going before we can decide how to get there.
My wife works with me in the office, so Getting out of the Office applies to both of us. Doing so will require some changes in our business, such as communications with customers, accessing information, scheduling, etc. Addressing these issues, and developing procedures is our primary goal for the next several months.
We have several motivations for Getting out of the Office. The most important is that we would like to spend more time pursuing other interests. It is difficult to do this when tethered to an office.
We have considered selling the business but see no real reason to do so. We make a pretty decent income while working part-time. Maintaining a business that generates semi-passive income simply makes the most financial sense at this point.
As I mentioned, the principles involved in this are essentially the same as Getting out of the Bucket. In both situations there is a need to maintain operations while the owner is not omnipresent. This presents numerous challenges, and while the details of those challenges differ, the same basic approach applies-- develop systems and procedures.
Our first step in this process is identifying our end goal, that is, what we want to accomplish and what we want our business to look like in the end. In other words, we first need to know where we are going before we can decide how to get there.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Plato, Kant, and Dewey
As an Objectivist, I am accustomed to others disagreeing with my ideas. My ideas challenge the conventional thinking and this necessarily puts me at odds with others. I do not intentionally seek out conflict—it simply goes with the territory when one holds ideas that are outside of the mainstream.
Because my ideas are foreign to most individuals, it can be particularly frustrating when I explain my position on a particular issue. Both the content and the method of my argument is often misunderstood. It is not uncommon for my arguments to be dismissed out of hand, with my opponent saying something to the effect of “nobody could seriously believe that.”
While such casual dismissals are disturbing, I do find them somewhat understandable. Few individuals have studied philosophy or explicitly identified their ideas and the validity of those ideas. Most individuals have absorbed their ideas over their lifetime, accepting an olio of ideas whose source and validity are often unknown. (This is not intended as a slam, just a statement of fact.) For example, few individuals have heard of Immanuel Kant or John Dewey, yet their ideas are widely accepted. Few individuals are familiar with the ideas of Karl Marx or Plato, yet their ideas are widely accepted.
I see the influence of these men and their minions on a daily basis. “That may be true for you, but not for me” came from Dewey. “We can’t be certain of anything” came from Kant. “Corporate executives are overpaid” came from Marx. “We need to protect people from themselves” came from Plato. These clichés and many more like them are often uttered with no understanding of their true meaning or their implications.
You might think that this is a bunch of useless theory and it has nothing to do with real life and operating a painting business (you got that from Dewey). You might think that my ideas work for me, but you run your business differently (you got that from Dewey as well). You might think it’s admirable to be so principled, but I’m not being practical (another idea from Dewey). You might think I’m an egoist jerk for insisting that I am right and most everyone else is wrong (Dewey again).
The ideas we accept as true ultimately determine the choices we make and the actions we take. It does not matter whether we know the source of those ideas, whether we have consciously considered them or not, or whether we understand their implications. The power of ideas is an inescapable fact of human life.
I recently witnessed this in action in a very interesting fashion. Members of a popular forum for painting contractors were discussing illegal immigration. I commented that I found it interesting that such discussions seldom, if ever, included any discussion of the legitimacy of our immigration laws. I stated that our immigration laws are immoral because they violate an individual’s rights. I was quickly attacked and accused of knowingly and intentionally hiring illegal aliens. I was told that my arguments were simply an attempt to rationalize my behavior (he got that idea from Marx).
In another thread on that forum I was discussing compensation methods for production personnel with another contractor. At one point he stated that my ideas might work for me, but he runs his business differently (this idea comes from Dewey). I then started another thread in which I stated that sound business principles apply to all businesses, and only the details of implementation differ.
Before long the thread was hijacked into an inquisition into whether I hire illegal aliens. My comments regarding business principles were ignored and my character was attacked. I was accused of being overly sensitive when I pointed out these facts. I was accused of making statements that could be found nowhere in any of my posts.
At the end of the day the entire experience was rather amusing. It was also illuminating because it revealed the true character of my antagonists. They may not know the source of their ideas, and they may not understand the implications of those ideas, but they are responsible for what they regard as true.
Each individual is a being of self-made soul (I got that from Aristotle). We choose the ideas that will guide our lives. We can do so explicitly through careful study and thought, or we can do it implicitly by accepting the ideas that are tossed our way. In either case, the choices we make will determine our character. The choices we make will determine the nature of our words and actions, and thus reveal our soul to the world.
Because my ideas are foreign to most individuals, it can be particularly frustrating when I explain my position on a particular issue. Both the content and the method of my argument is often misunderstood. It is not uncommon for my arguments to be dismissed out of hand, with my opponent saying something to the effect of “nobody could seriously believe that.”
While such casual dismissals are disturbing, I do find them somewhat understandable. Few individuals have studied philosophy or explicitly identified their ideas and the validity of those ideas. Most individuals have absorbed their ideas over their lifetime, accepting an olio of ideas whose source and validity are often unknown. (This is not intended as a slam, just a statement of fact.) For example, few individuals have heard of Immanuel Kant or John Dewey, yet their ideas are widely accepted. Few individuals are familiar with the ideas of Karl Marx or Plato, yet their ideas are widely accepted.
I see the influence of these men and their minions on a daily basis. “That may be true for you, but not for me” came from Dewey. “We can’t be certain of anything” came from Kant. “Corporate executives are overpaid” came from Marx. “We need to protect people from themselves” came from Plato. These clichés and many more like them are often uttered with no understanding of their true meaning or their implications.
You might think that this is a bunch of useless theory and it has nothing to do with real life and operating a painting business (you got that from Dewey). You might think that my ideas work for me, but you run your business differently (you got that from Dewey as well). You might think it’s admirable to be so principled, but I’m not being practical (another idea from Dewey). You might think I’m an egoist jerk for insisting that I am right and most everyone else is wrong (Dewey again).
The ideas we accept as true ultimately determine the choices we make and the actions we take. It does not matter whether we know the source of those ideas, whether we have consciously considered them or not, or whether we understand their implications. The power of ideas is an inescapable fact of human life.
I recently witnessed this in action in a very interesting fashion. Members of a popular forum for painting contractors were discussing illegal immigration. I commented that I found it interesting that such discussions seldom, if ever, included any discussion of the legitimacy of our immigration laws. I stated that our immigration laws are immoral because they violate an individual’s rights. I was quickly attacked and accused of knowingly and intentionally hiring illegal aliens. I was told that my arguments were simply an attempt to rationalize my behavior (he got that idea from Marx).
In another thread on that forum I was discussing compensation methods for production personnel with another contractor. At one point he stated that my ideas might work for me, but he runs his business differently (this idea comes from Dewey). I then started another thread in which I stated that sound business principles apply to all businesses, and only the details of implementation differ.
Before long the thread was hijacked into an inquisition into whether I hire illegal aliens. My comments regarding business principles were ignored and my character was attacked. I was accused of being overly sensitive when I pointed out these facts. I was accused of making statements that could be found nowhere in any of my posts.
At the end of the day the entire experience was rather amusing. It was also illuminating because it revealed the true character of my antagonists. They may not know the source of their ideas, and they may not understand the implications of those ideas, but they are responsible for what they regard as true.
Each individual is a being of self-made soul (I got that from Aristotle). We choose the ideas that will guide our lives. We can do so explicitly through careful study and thought, or we can do it implicitly by accepting the ideas that are tossed our way. In either case, the choices we make will determine our character. The choices we make will determine the nature of our words and actions, and thus reveal our soul to the world.
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