February 16, 2023

A good No

Shelter

It happens like this: everything is fine, everything is fine, not everything is fine, most things are not fine, nothing is fine.

If only there was a sign.

When things stop going well, when deadlines start to be missed, when quality suffers and reworking is common, when you’re nervous about saying yes, when everything is a little more complicated than expected, when corners are being cut, when emails stack up and everyone (including you) is waiting for something from everyone else (including you).

These are the signs.

Being busy is great, and it’s lovely that everyone wants to say Yes, but it’s bad if we’ve created an environment where it’s too difficult to say no, or even not now.

No can be good. No is better than maybe. A good no is better than a bad yes.

To get the balance right it helps if we show, don’t tell.

Skippy strategy: Only say yes when you mean it.

Category:
Focus