When in doubt, there is no doubt.

#11 - 11.29.20

Brother -

This past week we've created some great memories back home. As always, the time flies by faster than we'd hope. This year we were able to elevate our family conversations a bit thanks to a reflection card game gifted to us by a friend. One of the learnings I shared seemed to resonate,

"When in doubt, there is no doubt."

Now, this is an excerpt from a late 90's Robert De Niro film - but it was first shared with me in the context of recruiting. I've made many bad hires in my short career, and when I look back on them, I had some element of doubt in most cases. 

In short, I didn't trust my instincts.

One of my most memorable examples was when I was building out my team in Amsterdam. I hired a senior executive in a field I wasn't familiar with. I liked the guy, but there were times throughout the process where flags would come up. Small comments such as how his contract would detail the hours he was expected to work each week.

The flags summed up his lack of comfort for ambiguity. Unfortunately, being comfortable with ambiguity is needed to be successful at my company (and most tech start-ups). My issue was I couldn't articulate this well at the time - other than something didn't sit right in my stomach. 

You can guess how this plays out - it didn't work, and we parted ways within one year. 

You'll notice this phrase works far beyond just recruiting new hires. It's a framework for business or personal decisions that helps you say No. 

Because when you say no, you are saying no to one option. When you say yes, you are saying no to every other option. No is a choice. Yes is a responsibility.

My job is to say no well over 90% of the time at work. It empowers focus for myself and my team - and keeps open possibilities for future opportunities. This can be for big business initiatives or as small as your meeting cadence. 

I say no to most 1:1 requests, and I'm allergic to large group meetings. Telling someone you don't want to meet with them is hard. It's a skill set you get better with in time. It will ultimately become one of your favorite productivity tools.

So as we wrap up, value your time and your mental energy. You can't put a price tag high enough on these items. Saying yes when something doesn't feel right, is a surefire way to deplete these resources.

Let me leave you with a quote and a question.

"To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking"

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

When was the last time you should've said no, but didn't? What were the consequences?

Enjoy the dance,

Nate