For many small business owners, trying to please everyone is a recipe for disaster. As Bill Cosby said, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
People pleasing, also called “over-responding,” is easily confused with customer service. In some situations, over-responding is a required action to remedy a client situation. For most circumstances, however, it’s a knee jerk reaction – a compulsive response – that puts the needs of others before your own.
A “Yes” Waiting to Happen
My very first coach made a keen observation of my behavior early in our coaching relationship. As she put it, I was “a ‘yes’ waiting to happen.” She was right. I was in a continual state of pleasing others. I put the needs of others before my own. And, in my role as a strategic business coach, I’m not alone. People pleasing is a common reality, especially among women business owners.