Image via WikipediaIt's common, perhaps even fashionable, for corporate America to say they want their employees to act as "entrepreneurs."You will often find MBA's who talk about an 'entrepreneurial mindset.'
This is great and I'm all for more people who take calculated risks.
But, there's one critical element to the entrepreneurial experience that I forgot during my time at MSFT. I've seen (and heard from others) that it is often neglected by corporate employees in dealing with entrepreneurs.
The recognition that TIME is an entrepreneur's most valuable asset.
My friend and blogging maestro, Jimmy, calls this the "No B.S. Disclaimer."
Just promise me that you won't give me any B.S.If you don't want to work with an entrepreneur (buy his/her product or service), that's fine, but the absolute best thing you can do is to say No and say it quickly.
It's easy to keep pushing people off and avoid the confrontation of saying No, but if you really respect entrepreneurs, if you have really no intention of buying and are just avoiding the conflict, just say so. That's the ultimate sign of respect.
