No… I don’t want it!
Today is about a topic I really love (to be fair I love all of it, but this one just a bit more): the power of no.
You might be tempted to click out of this, but give it a read… you may be surprised just how many non-no’s (yes) are killing your growth. By growth I mean you, your team and your business. No bueno.
What am I missing?
Look at your diary, your time, your overwhelming to-do list and your habits. It’s easy to see how even the most bad@ss of leaders (that’s you) can be smashed to bits with all there is to be done. When I coach these hustlers on why they simply aren’t getting traction, there are some key issues I’ve clustered into themes for you:
Saying yes to meetings that don’t add measureable value
Networking (geez Perth loves coffee catch-ups) with randoms just because
Taking on a project/side hustle/endavour/JV because it has some degree of potential
Being too nice
What does this turn into? A whole lotta pain for you my friend.
D@mn it!
NO
Ok, now it’s time for you to take back control. Here are some things to say no to:
No agenda = no meeting – If you do only one thing from today’s topic, PLEASE only go to meetings with a clear (and valuable) agenda. STOP going to meetings without an agenda, aimed at networking, for people to pick your brain etc. You are not Google (free advice) and you’re not Dr Strange (can’t control time) so don’t let them have either. It’s not about being rude, it’s about valuing your own time enough to focus on things that move you towards your goals.
No new projects without shedding an old one – Want to build that new app? Awesome, now remove some other project from you/your team’s to-do list. You need to be super focussed and highly selective in how you spend your time. That also means saying no to most things so you can be amazing at a handful of things. This new view on projects will force you to really home in on what truly matters for your growth.
No more Mrs Nice – You might try saying “no” softly by saying you’re too busy, don’t have time, etc but the reality is some people will be uber-persistent. You’re going to have to, on occassion, be a little less nice to them so you can be kinder to yourself. Don’t cave to non-value add chats/projects. Insead, practice radical candor such as this: “Jane, I love what you’re doing but to be honest it doesn’t fit into my current list of projects/goals and I am not in a place to commit to projects like this at this stage. I wish you all the best and I’ll reach out to you directly if anything changes. Thanks”. I think that’s still nice-ish, but most people struggle with telling others no. Either way, say no…
Now say NO (just not to this advice of course) and comment below with what you said NO to this week. Make it happ’n, cap’n.
