Are You Trying Too Hard to Be a People Pleaser?
Chances are you’ve at some point been told “you can't please everyone.” Of course, as an entrepreneur it’s in your very nature to try to do so anyway. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — it’s admirable to put others before you and to want to please as many people as possible. However, there is such a thing as going too far.
Here are a few signs that you might be trying too hard to be a people pleaser:
- You’re unable to say no. If you’re saying “yes” to everyone else’s requests, that means you're probably saying “no” to other things in your life. And when it’s business requests to which
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you are constantly agreeing, that means you are most likely pushing back aspects of your personal life. If you feel you're overexerting yourself but still have a hard time with a flat out “no,” you could at least start to say, “I’ll get back to you,” which gives you some time to consider your answer and doesn’t come across as being dismissive.
- You have a hard time making decisions. People pleasers have a hard time making their own decisions because their answers are so affected by what they think people want to hear. If you’re having a hard time making a decision over something as simple as what you want to eat for lunch, for example, you’ve probably been in the habit of giving other people too much sway over your decision making.
- You never ask for help. People who tend to want to please everyone else also, for whatever reason, tend to be people who are less likely to reach out to others for assistance. If this sounds like you, then you should start trying to force yourself to seek help with even one or two small tasks every day, then start weaning yourself on to delegating larger tasks.
- You are unable to set any boundaries. At some point, your propensity and desire to please others can become unhealthy. There are some times where you need to say “no” to clients or coworkers, both for your own personal sanity and for the sake of your business.
Can you think of any other tell-tale signs of people who are way too focused on pleasing everyone?
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner and an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
