Dealing with impatience as a founder

Here are some takeaways from this week's episode:

• There are two common reasons for a manager to feel impatient: someone isn't motivated to work hard, or they're working hard but not getting enough done.
  • The first type is best to avoid entirely by hiring people who are intrinsically motivated. If you can trust that they aren't intentionally slacking off, it takes a lot of pressure off your plate as a manager.
  • The second type is frustrating, but it's not the employee's fault. If they're working hard but not getting the results you want, either your expectations are off, or you're not putting them in a position to succeed.
• Deadlines can be a major cause of impatience and can cause stress for the manager and the employee. Avoid deadlines when possible. Instead, break projects into small chunks and set targets, but don't put pressure on anyone to hit those targets exactly.
• If someone misses a target, have a discussion about why. Was it poor planning? Did something unexpected come up? Try to learn from that, but don't let it cause you to become impatient.
• Trust is a huge element in terms of working with urgency without being impatience. Building trust with your team is more about the process than the result. Let employees in on decisions you're making and make sure they feel heard.
• Founders need to manage their own mental state. Design the company to be able to handle slower than anticipated progress because things rarely go according to plan.