How Does a Part-Owner of a Professional Services Firm Allocate His Work Hours
I'm in my fourth year as part-owner of our professional services firm, so while we're still a work in progress I'm getting a sense of at least how I'd like to spend my time (even if reality doesn't always sync up with what's ideal). Here's what I'm striving for for the 50-60 or so hours a week I spend grinding away at my job:
* 50% on the work itself. Currently I'm probably way over this pretty much every week. There's a lot of work to do, I like the work, and I like my clients. But the firm needs me to spend more time getting business. And, my clients benefit when I'm out there in the world making contacts, because it makes the time I do spend on client work more relevant and more connected to reality.
* 30% on business development. Networking, sitting on boards, pitching for work, responding to proposals, and doing the behind-the-scenes intel needed to make all of that go. This number is supposed to be higher but many weeks it's much lower.
* 10% on running the business. Tending to the finances and to the many inner workings of the firm. I dig this stuff so it's good for me that it's part of what owners have to sweat.
* 10% on taking care of our people. Checking in with folks, helping them to grow, finding new talent. In professional services, all you have is brains, so it's important to find good ones and take care of them.
* 50% on the work itself. Currently I'm probably way over this pretty much every week. There's a lot of work to do, I like the work, and I like my clients. But the firm needs me to spend more time getting business. And, my clients benefit when I'm out there in the world making contacts, because it makes the time I do spend on client work more relevant and more connected to reality.
* 30% on business development. Networking, sitting on boards, pitching for work, responding to proposals, and doing the behind-the-scenes intel needed to make all of that go. This number is supposed to be higher but many weeks it's much lower.
* 10% on running the business. Tending to the finances and to the many inner workings of the firm. I dig this stuff so it's good for me that it's part of what owners have to sweat.
* 10% on taking care of our people. Checking in with folks, helping them to grow, finding new talent. In professional services, all you have is brains, so it's important to find good ones and take care of them.
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