HANDLING UNPLEASANT TASKS
“unpleasant things happen. don't add extra unpleasantness.”
The Lesson
Sometimes you have to do unpleasant things. Fire someone, deliver bad news, have a difficult conversation. Even if you do everything right, it will be unpleasant. The mistake: adding EXTRA unpleasantness. Don't rehearse the pain beforehand. Don't replay it afterward. Don't extend the timeline by procrastinating. The unpleasant part is the unpleasant part. Don't multiply it. Do it quickly, do it well, and then move on. Preserve your energy for the things that deserve it.
Real-World Example
A founder needs to let go of an early employee who isn't working out. Wrong approach: stress about it for weeks, rehearse the conversation 50 times, then replay it for days after. Right approach: Make the decision, have the conversation promptly and respectfully, then move forward. The conversation itself is the unpleasant part. Don't turn a 30-minute difficulty into a month of suffering.
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