A friend recently returned to his parked car to find it had been sideswiped. Now, every time he calls the insurance company, he hears a message saying: “Can’t take your call right now. Leave a message. All calls will be returned by the end of the day.”
You Have to Stop Canceling and Rescheduling Things. Really.
You’ll gain confidence in yourself and build trust with others.
September 19, 2018
Summary.
We overcommit ourselves because it’s easier in the moment to say yes instead of no. But then we feel overwhelmed — and so at the last minute, we decide to cancel. It feels like no big deal. After all, everyone does it, and it’s easy to send a text or an email asking to reschedule. But what is actually happening here is that we’re being untrustworthy. Instead of giving in to the urge to cancel, push on. When you meet your commitments, you build trust, gain confidence — look, you really can do it! — and grow the kind of backbone needed to say no when you truly can’t take something on.
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Decision Making Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Decision Making. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Practical ways to improve your decision-making process.
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New!
HBR Learning
Decision Making Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Decision Making. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Practical ways to improve your decision-making process.