Buttering The Bread

We all have at some time spread butter on our bread and enjoyed a hearty breakfast, or just had a stomach fill. No one can deny this. Albeit, not every time the butter was as smooth and consistent to spread, sometimes chunky and frozen, right from the fridge, and otherwise oily and fluid making the bread soggy. Having butter in the right consistency was always an ideal situation.?

As an entrepreneur, I relate to this situation. There are times when business leads or assignments seem to be frozen, and sometimes work opportunities come fluid. But the ideal situation is having the right mix of opportunities, the assignments you like, and the assignments that motivate you and inspire you to over-perform. Just the right butter on your bread.

Although having a choice of assignments- free-flowing assignments and the non-existent phases- frozen ones, are intermittent. And there also comes a time when you as an entrepreneur are in a void because of prospects and clients' casual behaviour.

Recently, a well-established business colleague asked me, "Do you define numbers for your business, like your business goals?" I said, "I have defined only the number of books I plan to write this year, but otherwise cannot put number on the commercials, because of the dynamic scenarios of my business."?

Having said that, I am since then in a contemplative mode analysing what's working for me and what's not. And, while I wait to butter my bread, the ideal parameters are not always in my control. We come across people who change our goal scenario. We all have interesting kinds of prospects and clients and I bet we all must have experienced one of those or all I state below. And reflect on them well, we have been one of them at some time.

The Procrastinator

This is a common scenario with every business entity. But, the delay in assignments could be altering someone's USP of delivering on time, and eventually payment cycles too. Work is a two-way equation between the client and the business; if both don't meet a common goal, the efforts are not optimised.

The Short Communicator

An effort by one party not acknowledged by the other regularly means disrespect towards one's time, efforts, and even profession. Minimal or no communication can further lead to miscommunication, stretched timelines, and eventually burdened work. Therefore, you cannot take new assignments, or have to adjust old assignments, between new assignments often leading to underproductive work or stretched timelines.

The Hollow Confirmationist

The ideal scenario of, "I want it, but I don't want it." This leaves businesses in a quandary, whether to pursue a certain client after regular follow-ups and no action. Not to mention the time spent drafting proposals, sharing portfolios, and having long discussions.

The Planner?

These are prospects who only think, plan and plan more often giving the vibe, I am busy and need time.?

The Perpetual Partner

I know you are there for me, and I am there for you. But where is work going? What is the schedule for this month? What are the goals? This one is the regular client and working with them is an ongoing saga.

The Window Shopper

The one who goes around with bait, negotiating for the best commercial deals, promising work that might never materialise, or was never there.

The Doer

They are the ideal butter on bread. The doer sets the date and gets the work done, sometimes even well ahead of time. They are the ones who make us set our USP, and encourage us to proudly live up to them.

The Genuine One

They are the ones who seriously bring work, but are under budget, and naively clarify their situation. They are the needy ones who can affect work immediately but might not fit into our scheme of work.

I know Everything

This one is classic, and common to all businesses. "I can do this, but I am short of time. I have done this in the past but cannot find time now. I would have done this myself, but I have other tasks to take care of. Therefore, charge me nominal."

Finding the butter has always been a challenge, and getting butter in the right consistency is albeit an enduring process. And thus, they say, my work is my bread-butter.