How To Be A Hardass When It's Not Your Style
Friends, at some point in your career, whether it be with a client, an employee, or a vendor, you're going to have to take off your creative entrepreneur hat, and put on your hardass hat. In this week's minisode, I'm talking about how female entrepreneurs struggle to own their voice and let the fear of being labeled a "Bitch" hold them back from getting what they truly want and need. Even if you find it difficult to confront people, this episode will give you plenty of tips and tricks to keep on hand for when your hardass time finally comes.
How to be a hardass when it’s not your style:
Keep end goals in mind
Ask yourself:
How important is this issue?
How urgent is this issue?
Does the outcome I want align with my goals and values?
Clearly plan and outline deliverables including due dates.
Don’t let lack of information or unclear expectations be the reason for tasks not getting done.
Always, always have a contract in place.
Having a contract with your clients, contractors, employees, vendors, etc., will make settling disputes so much easier because it is literally there in writing.
Provide positive feedback
Don’t be the leader who only speaks up when something is wrong. Provide positive feedback regularly to boost morale and stress the importance of any constructive criticism.
Plan ahead
Set aside some time each week to map out your goals for the week, and then articulate what you need to do to get there. Present this plan to your team at the start of each week so everyone is on the same page. Again, curbing any potential issues blamed on ignorance.
“Contracts are not a one-and-done type of situation. they are a living document, so make sure to update them accordingly with new responsibilities and terms so that it’s always accurate and your ass is always covered.”