Thriving Leaders Make Time Matter
The most prevailing challenge facing travel agency owners today is the pressure on your time.
After three long years, the demand for travel is strong. However, it is a long way from smooth sailing.
There are complex, time-consuming issues confronting you on a daily basis.
Much of the friction comes from the worldwide staff shortage. For example, as suppliers ramp up and hire new staff, the learning curve is steep. Those reliable sources you turned to for help prior to the pandemic have moved on.
In retail, we have lost an estimated 20% of the advisor community. Therefore, owners are stepping in and selling to bridge the gap. At the same time, they are doing all they can to lead the team forward through uncharted territory.
When we try to be all things to all people, we become stretched beyond our limits. Hard work, the long hours and lack of clarity take their toll.
The mistake most leaders make when considering their time management is limiting it to their own personal productivity.
In a recent poll, 97% of agency owners considered themselves productive.
Yet that same sample, only 10% had a written business,
and even fewer had set goals with their team.
Busy and productive are not the same thing.
If there was one skill that makes everything else easier, it’s creating a system for effectively managing your time, in conjunction with developing your teams’ performance.
Here are three, time management tips for leaders, to help you and your team thrive.
1. It’s not the time you spend, it is the way you prioritize your time.
“There can't be a crisis next week, my schedule is already full.”
― Henry Kissinger
Most leaders know what to do. They even know how to do it. The struggle is in trying to get to everything on the list.
As one owner said, “I start off with a great list, and by 10:00 am it is out the window as I deal with one urgent situation after another. Somehow, I manage to put out the fires, but I don’t get to half my list.”
Therefore, the first step to improving your relationship with time is to get everything out of your head and onto paper – daily.
The only way you can decide what is most important is to clearly weigh all of the options you have on how you spend your time.
2. People Are the Plan
We all know that travel is a “people” business. The challenge is that we place too much focus on the wrong people.
It is often faster, and at times more satisfying to focus on consumers, instead of advisors. Who can resist that world cruise customer, or the multi-generation group that drops into your inbox?
It’s not that focusing on consumers is wrong. It is that it is not scalable for a business owner with a team.
For example, if you invested in helping ten advisors sell one more customer each over that same time period, you would more than double your return. In fact, I firmly believe it's a 10X strategy.
Spending time helping advisors to create loyal customers efficiently and effectively, will give you the greatest return on time. Period.
As Peter Drucker says,
“The purpose of a business is to create and keep customers.”
Effective leaders focus on helping advisors attract and retain customers for life.
In order to make “people the plan”, you must make your team a consistent, non-negotiable priority, that is scheduled into your calendar.
3. Reduce Thirty Tasks to Three Priorities Scheduled in your Calendar.
One of the greatest time management skills is to reduce the thirty things on your “to do” list down to three big priorities.
In other words, move from a “To Do List” to a “Do List.”
In any travel business, all of your tasks boil down to three priorities. Think, grow, and deliver and you will thrive!
Here are a few examples of tasks in each area.
Think: Plan, prepare, create, review, reflect, and revise your work.
Grow: Grow your people, invest in training, skill up, grow your sales, grow your business
Deliver: Only do what only you can do. Deliver your vision to your team and your market. Create strategic partnerships.
The critical step is to put all of your “to-do’s” into a big list, then categorize them into one of three priorities. Is it a thinking activity, a growing activity or are you delivering your message to your team or the market?
Once you get the tasks into the right bucket, get them into your calendar. (I like to colour code mine using Green for THINK as I want to make an impact on the world, Red for GROW as it is primarily a sales activity, and Blue for DELIVER my message through speaking, coaching, and training.)
Your calendar is a triple-threat weapon for excellence in your business.
It makes your priorities and your people visible; it reduces tasks into more manageable categories (with extra points for colour coding), and it forces you to estimate the time that tasks will take you. A game-changing, 10X strategy.
Leaders who make time matter for themselves and their team thrive. Choose your busy, choose your people, and change your life.
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There is no better time to elevate your travel business.
You do not have to do this alone. If you are on the right track but lack clarity on the BEST way forward I can help!
I support high-performing agency owners with a bias for action to get things done that matter!
If you are looking to 10X your business with the support of a mentor and a proven system for success, let's have a conversation.
Geraldine is so in tune with the travel industry of today. She has great advice and is able to really help you put it to work to make your business grow.
If you are spinning your wheels trying to get a grip on your travel business, then you have to work with Geraldine Ree in some capacity. I have done her Flying Colors Academy and it was fantastic.
Now I am working one on one with her to help me 10X my business! Thank you Geraldine for helping me see a light at the end of the dark tunnel!-
Lisa Hulbert, Travel Agency Owner, Froche Travel
I have two spots open for mentoring starting in April and May. Let's have a conversation to see if it's the right fit for both of us. If there is a better way forward for you I will guide you to it Either way you will leave with an enlightened path forward.
Choose your busy, choose your people, and change your life!
I offer exclusive, 90-day and full-year mentorship programs for high achieving Agency Owners who lead teams.
I've walked a mile in your shoes, in fact, I've worn every shoe in the travel industry closet! My favourite pair of shoes are the ones that allow me to help others achieve something bigger than themselves.
You have had it all along, and you need my unique ability to help you find the courage, confidence, and insight to make an impact.
To be clear, you have to do the work. This program won't work if you are looking for a get-better pill. It doesn't happen overnight but it does happen - and it is SO exciting! I guarantee it.
Check out more HERE!
Book your strategy call NOW! ...Don't wait as I only have room for (2) more (April or May) and these spots are allocated on a first come first confirmed basis.
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Events with Geraldine Ree
Join our next 30 on Thursdays:
Thursday, April 27th at 9:00 AM PST, 12 Noon EST
Join us as we create a fast, fun, and financially rewarding seminar on rebuilding the travel industry.
This session is open to all Agency Owners, Advisors, and Suppliers.
Where the passion for business and travel meet!
Sincerely,
PS
Order 10X My Travel Business here or Flying Colors - US - here! CAD - here!
If you are interested in knowing more about my 2023 programs check out: geraldine@geraldineree.com
