Being Overly Flexible is for Yoga, Not for Business
BEING OVERLY FLEXIBLE IS FOR YOGA, NOT FOR BUSINESS
Article by John Scardina
Photo Credit: Laura Jade Stone
Magazine: Issue #38
Being flexible in business is such a great attribute, we need flexibility in order adapt and solve problems for our business. We as entrepreneurs do everything we can to become and maintain a successful business, sometimes even bending over backwards to please a customer or client. At so many levels this is acceptable in order to survive. Other times this can be a trying event.
As a Reiki Master/Teacher I have always managed my practice to cater to all and any client willing to come my way. It was in these efforts I realized that I was practicing what I like call “Business Yoga”. I found myself bending and contorting to every need in order to reach and teach students. I would do everything I could possible do in order to secure a client up to and including changing class dates, fee structures, and letting clients dictate what was once a business plan of my own making. I was allowing all clients to run their plan, not mine.
Again I will say that being flexible is a fine quality, but to what extent do go to? We all have those clients that will dictate their availability even after scheduling, and those in addition who are consistently late for appointments. Even those who just need an extra everything to please them. These are the types of clients that greatly reduce your ability to run your business as efficiently as it should run. In place of running your business you are actually performing a yoga routine. Being in tune with and preventing these events can make your business run with greater reward and general well being.
Knowing when to say no is the key to stop being overly flexible. We all are solving a problem and providing a service, it’s of the upmost importance that we remain clear with all clients of what our expectations are. Our time and sanity it just as important as the services we provide. We can provide a great service to all clients without giving into “Business Yoga”, let’s save that for our down and meditative time in a studio rebalancing and relaxing. Your real clients will get it.
1| Project your expectations to every client, potential and current.
2| Know when to say no
3| Do not accept schedule changes repeatedly
4| Take charge of what is your schedule
5| Know when to let go of clients that consume excess time
6| Do not be overly flexible!
