As a consultant, you are expected to deliver high-quality work to your clients, while also developing your skills, building your network, and contributing to your firm. But how can you balance billable and non-billable work without compromising your performance, reputation, or well-being? Here are some tips to help you manage your time and priorities effectively.
Before you start any project, make sure you understand the scope, deliverables, deadlines, and budget of your billable work. Communicate clearly with your client and your team about the objectives, roles, and expectations of each party. This will help you avoid scope creep, misalignment, and confusion that can waste your time and resources. Similarly, identify your non-billable goals and expectations, such as learning new skills, mentoring junior colleagues, or participating in firm initiatives. Align them with your career aspirations, interests, and values, and seek feedback and support from your manager or mentor.
Once you have a clear picture of your billable and non-billable work, you need to plan and prioritize your tasks accordingly. Use a calendar, a to-do list, or a project management tool to organize your activities and track your progress. Break down large or complex tasks into smaller and manageable ones, and assign them deadlines and priorities. Focus on the most important and urgent tasks first, and delegate or defer the less critical ones. Be realistic about how much time and energy you can spend on each task, and avoid overcommitting or underestimating yourself.
I like to manage my time by prioritising tasks and time-blocking on my calendar. Allocate specific blocks of time for billable client work and non-billable activities like skill development, networking, and self-care. Everything goes onto my calendar. Stick to your schedule as much as possible to ensure you have dedicated time for each aspect of your work. And if something comes up, move that calendar booking to another time so that you don't miss out.
Sometimes, organizing and prioritizing activities is not enough: something unexpected may come up and your neatly planned out day goes out the window. It is important to rely on your direct reports, and also familiarize them with activities that you have no intention of delegating. Should something come up, this will give you a leg up in being able to offload yourself of this activity to focus on more pressing ones.
One of the key challenges of balancing billable and non-billable work is managing the expectations and demands of different stakeholders. You need to set boundaries and communicate them clearly and respectfully to your clients, your team, your manager, and yourself. For example, you can establish your working hours, your availability, your response time, and your preferred mode of communication. You can also negotiate the scope, timeline, and resources of your projects, and push back or escalate issues when necessary. By setting boundaries, you can protect your time, energy, and quality of work, and prevent burnout and conflict.
You don't have to balance billable and non-billable work alone. You can leverage your resources and network to help you achieve your goals and overcome your challenges. For instance, you can use the tools, templates, best practices, and knowledge base of your firm to streamline your work processes and improve your efficiency. You can also reach out to your colleagues, mentors, coaches, or experts for advice, feedback, support, or collaboration. By leveraging your resources and network, you can enhance your skills, productivity, and performance, and build valuable relationships.
Balancing billable and non-billable work is not a one-time event, but a continuous process. You need to review and adjust your work regularly to ensure that you are meeting your goals and expectations, as well as adapting to changing circumstances. For example, you can use weekly or monthly check-ins, surveys, or reports to monitor your progress, achievements, and challenges. You can also use performance reviews, feedback sessions, or self-reflections to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement. By reviewing and adjusting your work regularly, you can learn from your experiences, celebrate your successes, and address your gaps.
Finally, balancing billable and non-billable work is not only about managing your tasks and priorities, but also about taking care of yourself and your well-being. You need to make time for yourself and your personal and professional development, as well as your physical, mental, and emotional health. For example, you can schedule some downtime, hobbies, or fun activities to relax and recharge. You can also practice self-care, mindfulness, or wellness habits to cope with stress and anxiety. By making time for yourself and your well-being, you can maintain your motivation, creativity, and happiness, and avoid burnout and fatigue.