Entrepreneurs May Have Irritating Syndrome SASS
If you're an entrepreneur, chances are you have Irritating Syndrome SASS. What is this mysterious syndrome? It's a set of personality traits that can cause irritability and frustration in those afflicted with it. SASS stands for susceptibility to anger, inflated sense of personal importance, stubbornness, self-centeredness, and superiority feelings. Yep. That about sums up the entrepreneurial life!
Fortunately for entrepreneurs who find themselves getting frustrated more than usual by these tendencies in themselves or others (ahem), there are plenty of ways to combat them! We'll go into more detail in the body of this post on how to keep your cool no matter what!
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You don't have to be an entrepreneur to have Irritating Syndrome SASS, but you might want to consider the following traits in yourself or those around you:
Clients and prospective clients can often irritate entrepreneurs, not to mention friends and family. But they're also a fantastic source of feedback! In any case, these people might not appreciate how you react when they frustrate you or make foolish demands. When they do this, tell them this in a very diplomatic way: "I'm sorry if I am being too difficult or too rude with my beliefs. I respect your opinion and I am trying to be respectful of your belief systems." It's important to show them you're willing to listen to them and give them a chance to present their argument instead of brushing their viewpoints aside.
When you're interacting with clients, potential investors, family members, or friends (as well as those living next door), remember that everyone is different. Be kind and positive in your tone whenever possible. Even if you disagree with another person's point of view (trust me, most people do!), don't take it out on the other person. Instead, explain why you feel the way you do, and acknowledge that they do have a point. It may be that they're just not used to hearing what they're saying is wrong (believe me, I've been there myself) or could be that they're just not used to you not agreeing with them.
Be friendly and polite when speaking to people. You may think this is a no-brainer, but we often get frustrated when people are rude or don't say "please" and "thank you. " The more you are nice and kind to people, the more nice and kind they will be to you. The same goes for being polite to your employees. When you treat them well and with decency, they will be willing to trust you and work hard for you -- especially if you can treat them with dignity as human beings, not just as workers.
As an entrepreneur, it's important that you take care of yourself because if you don't do it, no one else will. It's easy to get caught up in long hours of work or extra-long days away from home, death grips on cell phones, not eating right or exercising enough...the list goes on. While it is important to get things done and stay ahead of the game, never neglect your most basic needs. Eat, sleep, exercise well, work with a clear mind and a healthy body. If you do these things for yourself (and for those around you who depend on you), your life will be that much easier.
While there are some relationship-building activities we entrepreneurs tend to avoid (networking events, social functions) because we feel they're not "necessities," they can help us build great relationships that could lead to amazing opportunities down the road. Social situations help us better understand others and how to be more effective in our dealings with them. They help us to be more persuasive and persuasive people tend to get what they want. That could mean getting more clients or landing that amazing PR deal for your company. More importantly, it could also mean a better relationship with family, friends and others close to you.
While you may be stuck in the office for long hours or at home in front of your laptop or desk, those around you usually have time to do fun things. That can lead to resentment on your part and a feeling that you're missing out, when in fact you're probably not. To feel better about this, get out more, exercise regularly, take up a hobby or sign up for something fun with friends! Do this and you'll be happier and healthier for it.
As an entrepreneur, it's very easy to get caught up in work and the day-to-day grind of business life. While you should keep these things in mind and take care of them, it's also important to enjoy life. Go out with friends and family to dinner, a movie, or a show. Go on vacation! Meet new people and make new friends who share your interests. Go out in the world with wonder and curiosity about all that's around you. This will help you feel more alive and re-energize you for your work when you get back to it.
If you're feeling frustrated at the moment, just remember all the many things in your life that make it easier to deal with these frustrations: supportive friends, caring family members and great coworkers/employees/team members among them). Don't forget to take care of yourself!
Okay, I've got your attention now, have I? Here are a few more thoughts about SASS that might lighten your mood a bit:
Nurture and cultivate the relationships you have with people around you. You can make or break those relationships because of work demands or family/social obligations. Think before you speak if you need to. Remind yourself of the many things in your life that make dealing with these situations easier. Don't be mean or rude to people, even if they irritate the hell out of you (and they will sometimes). If you can, be friendly and polite to them. It will earn you respect and they'll be more likely to be friendly to you in turn.
Take care of yourself! Eat well, exercise regularly, work with a clear mind and a healthy body. If you do these things for yourself (and for those around you who depend on you), your life will be that much easier.
Be positive! Even if everything is going wrong, there's still time for some fun before everything is back on track again. So go out and have fun! Get out of the house and socialize with friends or family members. Enjoying life can help make tough times better.
Afterthoughts...
Conclusion
That's it! Have fun with SASS, and remember: you're allowed to take this acronym and apply it to your own life!
Good luck with anything you're doing at the moment, and have an awesome day!
Best,
Cal
Cal Stamenov is an entrepreneur and marketing strategist in the field of online marketing. Cal is CEO of a website design company, a marketing consultancy firm, and has owned a successful online retail business. He currently writes for numerous website design blogs on topics such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click management (PPC), social media for small businesses, affiliate programs and more.