If you hang around startup blogs long enough, you’ll eventually notice that you see some patterns in their almost monthly “How to be a better CEO” articles.
The main thing I noticed that I must learn to do is to say NO.
You see, I have this bad habit of just wanting to help people out even if I couldn’t.
My schedule is full, I run 2 companies (albeit still relatively small) – now a father and somehow manage to insert some email replies in there. I also have to contribute to different industry blogs and eventually, other stuff on top of my regular experiments.
If I picked up the phone and I talk to someone and he requests something, I just can’t say NO!
My schedule will get messed up, new tasks will be added and I’ll get less RnR time. Not really what I’m working towards to.
I have to admit, I’m using a no “yes” policy now when it comes to calls. Still not 100%, but I’m getting there!
One of the startup blogs I go to is run by聽Dharmesh Shah聽(CEO of Hubspot, one of the fastest growing companies today, definitely someone I look up to) and this is one of his posts about his dislike for phone calls.
Why wouldn’t I get inspired by this??? He basically explained everything I hated about calls! He also mentioned that he couldn’t say no, too.
If you hate calls as much as I do, then I recommend that you go and read that piece from Dharmesh.
Oh, the wife is excluded from this as I’ll still be forced to say YES, be it on the phone, email, chat or face to face.
You guys probably feel the same way. Come on, be honest. 馃槵