When doing the Energy Audit, here are some of the most common things that CEOs do that don't give them energy:
And here are some strategies to deal with them …
Now that your company is succeeding, people want to talk to you. They ask to get a coffee together. If you don’t know the person asking, you have no obligation to respond. But some of these people may be old friends, friends of friends, or significant people in the community. You don't get energy from spending an hour with them, but you also don't want to give them the cold shoulder and gain a reputation for being aloof.
Well, there is a solution.
First, decide how much time you are willing to spend on the person.
If it is 5 minutes or less, then …
Just as most 350-page business books only contain about three pages of real information, just so most times people want to get coffee for an hour, it is simply to ask for one favor, which takes 1 minute to ask, and likely two minutes to do.
When someone emails me to get a coffee, I immediately call them. I know that they are free as they have just emailed me. They usually pick up. They are so honored that I called them quickly. I then let them know that I have just a few minutes, but I'd like to be helpful. They ask me the favor. (It is usually a request for an introduction.) I usually oblige, which takes me about two minutes. Done. The person feels honored that I responded so quickly and did what they were hoping for, and it took me less than five minutes total.
If I get the email long after they sent it, and they don't pick up when I call back, then I respond in an email: "Scheduling a coffee will take a while, but I can call you fairly soon. You are now on my call list, and I will call you when I can." I then put them on my call list and call whenever I would otherwise be listening to a podcast (i.e., in an Uber). This call usually occurs within 24-48 hours of their request. Again, they are honored by the speedy connection. And once again, the call need only last a few minutes.
If it is 1 minute or less, then …
I respond with a written email or text response. Each time I encounter a new situation and therefore write a new response, I save it. At this the point, the vast majority of the time, I simply copy-paste a response that I have already written previously. Here is an example: