I’m an Imperfect Boss & That’s Okay
I’m an Imperfect Boss and that’s okay. The important part is that I own my imperfections, my talents, and take longs strides with confidence. Nobody is perfect. I am not nobody. Therefore, I am imperfect. And I am absolutely okay with that!
The Imperfect Boss Campaign
Next week, my friend Ashley Beaudin is hosting her spring #theimperfectboss campaign, where hundreds of women will be posting all over social media with confessions of why they are awesome. So many women can so easily name all the ways they’re imperfect, yet struggle to say what they’re good at with confidence. Join us in an epic celebration of women next week as we see the good in us and the good in one another.
You are invited! Will you be joining us May 1st to 3rd 2017?
Lady Boss, Stephanie
For those of you who don’t already know, this blog is actually one of THREE websites that I update daily. I run my newborn photography studio full-time where I help families create heirloom art, and I have a side-hustle as an SEO strategist where I help small business owners optimize their websites to be found online.
Finding the perfect ratio to split my time between them is a constant battle and ever-changing, so time-management is something that is very important to me. I never take on more than I know I can handle; they key is to actually work during work-time, in order of priority, and wait for personal time to do the rest.
The one thing that works for me is to write things down. If it is available to be crossed out, it gets done. Not always exactly when I intend to, but things get pushed around to accommodate. And while I would love for it to all be written in my customized business journal, it is often on post-its that get stuck to my computer, in my car, or the front door–but it works!
I’m An Imperfect Boss & That’s Okay
I am an imperfect boss, and that’s okay. The trick is to know your flaws, and work WITH them instead of against them. And don’t forget to acknowledge your skills, and use them!
⇒ As a perfectionist, I need to combat the need for everything to be perfect. My way to work with that trait is to constantly tell myself “done is better than incomplete”. For example, I try to always email someone back as soon as possible, even if the response isn’t worded just the right way, to make sure my clients get a timely response. I make it a customer-service goal rather than a ‘perfect email writing skills’ one.
⇒ As a person who suffers from ‘selective memory’ and is easily distracted, I need to make an extra effort to leave myself breadcrumbs for small tasks since my brain focuses on big things that are months away rather than remembering that I am almost out of printer ink. For example, I try to always write things down as they come up, whether it be on a post-it, a napkin, or email myself — then transfer them into my neatly-written to-do booklet. My favourite way to force myself to keep up on things is with a ‘Starbucks morning’. I drive away from the distractions of home, into an unknown yet familiar environment–I sip my keto-friendly Cafe Misto, and combine all of my task lists into my business planner, and figure out the best schedule for the week to get everything done. Being in a coffee shop also helps the extrovert in me feel connected to people, all while keeping to myself.
⇒ As a loyal skeptic (as per the Enneagram), my brain is wired to focus on thinking about worst-case scenarios and every possible thing that could go wrong, which often leads to a form of procrastination, so I need to make a very deliberate effort to think about what I could achieve. Again with the “done (properly) is better than perfect” self-mantra motivation, and encouragement from my ‘tribe’. This means I am never caught blind-sighted on a project, but that it often takes me longer than it should, so setting proper expectations is important.
Qualities of an Imperfect Boss
Stay tuned on my Instagram for the things that make me awesome, and learn how being an imperfect boss is not a bad thing for business if you embrace it.
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!
For more information on the Imperfect Boss Campaign, visit www.theimperfectboss.com
UPDATE! The campaign’s results:
