I say, it’s always good exercise to examine our habits and practices and evaluate whether they are really helping us accomplish our objectives, live up to our values and standards, and better serve our customers. I mean, if you’re red and bloodied on the floor from killing yourself to serve well, does that ultimately do any good–for anyone? The health and well-being of both client/customer and provider is absolutely necessary for extraordinary service to occur.

Here’s an article I wrote and published today in “The Portable Business™.” If you’d like to subscribe, go here:

Keep Your Concentration

Did you know that it takes 20 to 30 minutes to transition into critical thought? That means every time you pick up that ringing phone or stop to check emails when you are working on something important, it will take that long to get your concentration back. Talk about unproductive!

I’m guilty myself to some extent. I love checking email! But for some folks, it’s not a matter of choice. They feel they HAVE to answer that phone or check for new emails or they aren’t providing good service. Here’s the thing, though: You aren’t helping anyone if your productivity is compromised constantly. It takes you longer to get things done. Interruption causes stress. Stress causes procrastination. More mistakes happen. You forget where you left off and waste time trying to regroup.

If that’s you, I’m here to give you permission to RELAX! And I’ve got some strategies for you.

1. The first thing to do is to stop answering every phone call and email while you are working. Put the phone on Voicemail and turn off your email.

2. Schedule blocks of time for work that requires your undivided concentration. During those blocks of time, focus strictly on the work or project at hand.

3. Set a routine of a specific time or times each day to check Voicemail, return calls and reply to emails. Some folks find an hour first thing in the morning and last thing at night works best. Others check in once a day at midday. Just find your own groove and then stick with it.

4. Save busy work (that is, simple, routine tasks that don’t require a deep level of thinking and concentration) for times outside your productive blocks. I tend to like to do this kind of quick, easy stuff first thing in the morning to get it out of the way and off my mind for the day.

5. At the end of the day, take a deep, cleansing breath. There now, didn’t that feel great to work without interruption? Don’t you feel like you got more done? I’m willing to bet you feel more energized and satisfied. And your communication and service hasn’t suffered. It’s just been systemized so that you can do better work for clients. Isn’t that the whole point?

RESOURCE: A great alternative to Voicemail is hiring a virtual receptionist service such as Ruby Receptionists. There’s nobody quite like them–they are a team of smart, personable off-site receptionists who provide companies of all types and sizes throughout the U.S. a richer, more customized experience. For a small monthly fee, they’ll provide your clients and callers with helpful information when you can’t or don’t want to be reached. They do everything a great receptionist does, just not in your office. Perfect for the small business and solopreneur and callers can’t tell the difference!

And don’t forget… If you’re a Virtual Assistant, you simply must take part in the 2009 Virtual Assistant Industry Survey. Stand up and be counted!

Every August marks the time of year when Virtual Assistants can contribute to the statistics and body of knowledge that is improving the industry’s understanding of itself and the education of its market. Sponsored by the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, over 10,000 Virtual Assistants from around the world are invited to participate.

Created by Virtual Assistants (the folks who know the industry best!), the Virtual Assistant Industry Survey is the most comprehensive and in-depth survey in the Virtual Assistant profession. With 101 questions, the survey includes detailed cross-sectional data that offers unprecedented information about individual and business demographics, market data and services. Other survey topics include:

• Education, experience and credentials
• Employees and subcontractors
• Clients and target markets
• Hours and services
• Pricing and income
• Training and continuing education
• Marketing and networking
• Success, profitability and entrepreneurship
• Standards, Ethics and Educating the Public

This year’s survey focuses on how the media portrays our industry, what they’re getting wrong and what they’re getting right, our qualification standards and the issues that give a black-eye to the profession. Our collective voices can be heard and have a very real impact on properly educating those who work with us and write about us. That’s why it’s so very important that each and every Virtual Assistant take a moment to participate, be counted and have their say.

The 2008 Virtual Assistant Industry Survey is open to all professional Virtual Assistants. A copy of the 2008 Virtual Assistant Industry Survey Report will be provided at no charge to every participating Virtual Assistant at the end of the survey period August 31.

You Can Help Spread the Word!

By participating, each and every one of us makes a difference in shaping our industry. You can help us in the effort of giving every Virtual Assistant a voice by helping spread the word. Hey, it’s a great excuse for a blog, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn post, and if you belong to other Virtual Assistant forums and listservs, please tell everyone you can.

Feel free to copy and paste text and graphics as you like from any of these sources:

Office Press Release:
http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/releases/2008/080208.htm

Gritty VA Blog Post:
http://www.grittyva.com/the_gritty_virtual_assist/2008/08/get-thee-to-the.html

Survey Page:
http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/survey.htm