Try to say yes

I worked once with a boss who loved his job, loved his company, and worked very hard.  As he had progressed up the corporate ladder, he took on tough jobs and accomplished most of them.

As he moved up, he picked up a bad habit.  From his perspective, responsibility was saying “no”.  The tough decisions forced him to say “no”.  Over time, he became known as “No Joe”.

As I have worked over the years, it has become increasingly clear that saying “no” kills more innovation, creativity, drive, and discussion, than any other word.  It’s almost equal to just saying “go away”.

My suggestion to all business leaders is find a way to say yes.  While no is unconditional, yes can be conditioned.

Yes, let’s try it.

Yes, with limited resources.

Yes, with clear goals and trigger points.

Yes, but a little bit slower.

Yes, please flesh it out a bit better.

But, “yes” is hard because you have to listen and help construct a plan.  “yes” takes time.

However, “yes” continues and “no” ends.  Only with a string of “yeses” can a company thrive.

Advertisement