If you routinely stay back in the office long after everyone else has gone home, businessman Kevin O’Loughlin has this advice: Stop.
Better to be an early bird than someone who works long into the night, insists Nostra’s Founder Kevin O’Loughlin
O’Loughlin has built a massively successful IT company that deals with a number of organisations across many industries and sectors – including Microsoft, HP, Apple, Fujitsu and DELL – and he’s done it all before 5.30 in the evening.
Speaking to host Tadhg Enright on The Architects of Business, in partnership with EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™, Kevin explains how his strict adherence to downtime is crucial when it comes to being switched on when it matters.
“Having downtime is critically important so – I don’t know if you’d call it lazy or whatever – I’ve never worked late. It’s just never been a thing that I’ve done, so I would’ve always been an early riser, into the office early and leave at 5.30 and go home and try and switch off where possible.
“Obviously once a month you’ll end up writing a proposal that’ll go on until midnight or whatever, but they’re few and far between and always have been.”
Listen to the full show here…
Kevin – a 2017 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Finalist – knows that working long hours works for some entrepreneurs, particularly in the early days of setting up a business, but insists it is not for him.
“I would’ve been criticised by my own team for not doing it but our office, except for the people who (are scheduled to) work late, would actually clear out at 5.30 or 5.45 every day. My view is if everyone can’t get their work done in a day, we need more people and there’s something wrong. And also my view is if you actually relax in the evening, take the evening off, you’re far more productive the next day.”
Physical exertion also helps Kevin to be at his best when it matters.
“Again, in my case, if I go to the gym in the morning I’ve a much better day than if I miss a gym. So if I don’t go to the gym I genuinely find I don’t get as much done.”
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