Tips for Cannabis Pros: Dealing With Frustration, Celebrating Small Victories and the Importance of Hiring Carefully

Personal Improvement

When faced with frustration, it’s easy to fall prey to anger and want to lash out. But you probably know from experience that this only ever makes things worse. Instead, try to reframe the experience as a test of the imaginary Stoic gods, says William Irvine, author of The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher’s Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer and More Resilient. “It’s not a setback, the Stoic gods are testing your resilience. They are not punishing you, they are giving you an opportunity to show your courage,” he says. Ideally, within the first five seconds of mentally reframing, “you’ll feel better and do better.”

MANAGEMENTBe Proactive

“The cannabis industry is rapidly evolving and the companies that can adapt and innovate will be the ones that thrive in this market,” says Giadha Aguirre De Carcer, CEO of New Frontier Data. To stay ahead of the curve, it’s important to be constantly learning and adapting. Budget time to read industry publications and attend trade shows, as well as following experts on social media and joining industry groups and associations to stay on the bleeding edge of a cutting-edge market.

MANAGEMENTReward Small Victories

On the way to a grand goal, celebrate the smallest victories as if each one was its own final goal, writes WIRED co-founder Kevin Kelly on his blog. “No matter where it ends,you are victorious,” he says.

STAFFINGHire for Outsized Returns

A Deloitte Consulting survey found that in jobs of medium complexity (which include sales), a top performer is 12 times more productive than those at the bottom and almost twice as productive as an average performer. Lesson? Hire carefully.

PHOTOGRAPHYCyber Impression

Want to come off as a warm and friendly individual in that headshot on your website or social profile? The authors of a study published in a recent edition of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin confirm what your mother likely told you when you headed off to prom: get good sleep beforehand, smile, relax and gear your overall appearance to look healthy and engaged. And make sure to tuck in your shirt!

SALESSet Specific Goals

It doesn’t sound like much of a tip but it’s vital you set goals in an extremely specific manner with salespeople, says Ivan R. Misner and Don Morgan, the authors of Masters of Sales. “Top salespeople are intensely goal-orioriented,” they write, adding that the more specific the goals, the better the best salespeople tend to do.

MANAGEMENTCompliment More

Few things are more powerful than praise but many people hold back from saying nice things out of fear the other person will find it annoying, that they’ve heard it all before, or that they’ll stumble over their words and deliver a poor one. But these concerns are nearly entirely groundless, says Vanessa Bohn, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Cornell and author of You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion and Why It Matters. “Just worry about getting the words out because people like hearing nice things about themselves,” she says.