Another full-on day
I survived another full-on day on the management course. 9-5 with very little let-up. Yesterday’s session was on problem solving and decision making. We went through some decision making models, which was interesting because I’d done some of that on another business course I did last year but most of the models we covered were different – actually seemed a lot more simplistic even though this course is supposed to be a higher level…
We’ve got an assignment to do for this module, which will count towards one of the qualifications. We have to take a problem we’re facing in our business, analyse it, work it through, choose the best solution and write an action plan for implementing it. I’m quite looking forward to tackling this one – hopefully it will be something that I can practically apply so will directly benefit the business.
So, with the course over and done with I can start bashing through some work again. Am heading into Penzance in a moment to do the banking and stock up on some office supplies then I’ll be chaining myself to my desk for the rest of the day.
Staying positive
I find myself starting this week with some trepidation. It just feels like there’s so much to get through and with me being out at my course all day tomorrow I’m not sure how I’m going to manage it. Got to stay positive and just work through it all as efficiently as I can.
I managed to polish off my course homework yesterday but not without a great deal of grumbling. I don’t know, it just seems to be asking an awful lot – it’s not that it’s particularly difficult, it’s just that there’s so much of it! I wish the course description had been clearer about what was involved. Oops, there I go grumbling again.
So, positive attitude! I’ve already planned out my day so it’s just a case of knuckling down and getting the work done. I’m sure once I get started I’ll be ticking the various jobs off in no time.
Definitely not in my comfort zone
Well that was quite a week. I’m pleased to say that the presentation went smoothly and we’ve already had a number of enquiries as a result of it so it’s really looking like it was worthwhile. It did rather dominate the week though. I spent the first part of the week frantically preparing for it and then the second part recovering from it. Well that’s what it felt like anyway. Friday was actually busy in its own right – one meeting, a hands-on session helping a do-it-yourselfer out with their website, and trying to catch up on the stuff that had been let slip because of the talk.
Now I’m not sure what I need most …. some time off to recharge my batteries or just some solid days of working so I can feel a bit more on top of things. Maybe a few days of solid work followed by some time off will do the trick. Not that I’m going to get either! Meetings, courses and a massive workload is what we’ve got waiting for us. Tuesday I’ve got the second session of my management course so today I really must get the great pile of homework polished off for that. Could really do without it! When I booked up the course a few months ago I had no idea we’d be so busy now. I really must concentrate on the benefits of it and stay positive.
Round-up of last week
Eek, I hadn’t realised it was so long since I last posted. My excuse is that it was an incredibly busy week last week. The management course on Tuesday turned out to be worth going to, despite being a bit too full-on. Turns out we’ll be working towards two qualifications and there’s a lot of paperwork involved in the process. I was a bit daunted by it but have been reassured that it won’t be as bad as it seems. The weird thing is that it feels just like going back to school – the course tutor’s style is very much that of teaching a class and there seems to be little acknowledgement of the fact that we’re all grown-ups running our own businesses and therefore very much have minds of our own. Still, what we’re learning is definitely going to be useful so I’ll concentrate on that and try not to revolt too much from the strict atmosphere.
On Thursday morning I went to an interesting workshop run by Helena of TrainingCornwall.com. It was a taster session to give an idea of what she does. I went along not really knowing what to expect but it was a brilliant couple of hours. Great fun and I learnt a lot. It turns out that I’m mostly blue but with a largish dose of red. Blue being cautious, precise, deliberate, questioning, formal and analytical, and red being competitive, demanding, determined, strong-willed, purposeful and a driver. Think it sums me up pretty well. The idea is that if you are more aware of your own traits and can recognise other people’s you can learn to communicate much better. Sounds good to me, will definitely be investigating this further.
Aside from courses and workshops the week was busy with client work, preparing quotes and meetings. I can’t believe how many maintenance jobs came in on Friday so am launching in to another busy week!
Frustrated by Business Link
Just got the update of events through from Business Link (this is an email that I get about once a month). As usual I’ve had a scan through for events happening near us and as usual there’s nothing. We’re based in the far west of Cornwall but the nearest actual event looks like it’s in Exeter – bit of a trek and probably not worth it from what I’ve experienced of Business Link! Their only acknowledgement that Cornwall exists is to have ‘telephone clinics’ for Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Not exactly my idea of business support I’m afraid.
Another email straight to the ‘deleted’ folder.
