The Power of Saying Yes
The Power of Saying Yes is a key concept I have devised from Expanding the Vocabulary of Yes is another great takeaway that I got from reading the book from Frank J. Barrett Yes to the Mess. The way he explains this is that one of the biggest blocks to creativity and improvisation is getting stuck wishing the situation was different. The alternative in his own words are to develop an affirmative mindset: in every condition, there is always a positive pathway to be found or a potential to be noticed and pursued.
The Power of Saying Yes is a way to overcoming the glamour of no. Barrett mentions that too often in many organisations, cynicism is established as a way to attain status. For many people, cynical responses to ideas seem justified because they are more “realistic”.
Too often, executives become far more adept at critiquing others’ ideas than they are at creating their own original ideas or lending support to those of others.
Frank J. Barrett Yes to the Mess, page 169
What is needed is what the author defines an expansive grammar of “yes”: a rich repertoire of affirmative moves or responses that convey the tacit assurance that we will help each other to think through ideas, that our initiatives will not be overly constrained by unnecessary structures, that our moves will be a positive contribution, and that possibilities will unfold and glimpses of wider potential horizon will emerge.
Saying yes is a way of moving forward.
“If someone offers you an amazing opportunity to do something and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes. Then learn how to do it later.” —
Richard Branson
With Yes, you mostly mean that you know what you need “more” in your life and your work. It is not about being a “yes person” or feeling pressured to do things you don’t want to. It’s about having the courage and conviction to do the things that are right and that you want to. It’s about delegating correctly, empowering others. It’s about accepting inclusion in a genuinely positive matter. It’s about enabling dissenting ideas and creating the right environment for innovation. We all need to say Yes, more often. As leaders and as simple employees.
Most of the critical skills that will enable the Future of Work have at the basis on The Power of Saying Yes. Authenticity is about saying Yes to your internal self, allowing it to be accurate and transparent towards the outside. Curiosity is about saying Yes to the continuous discovery of the new. Learning Agility is about saying Yes to constant learning. Listening is about saying Yes to the other person, and listening to her because she’s essential. Decision Making is about saying Yes to making decisions (which sometimes will often involve telling No). System Thinking is about saying Yes to the complexity of the world we live in, and to holistic ways of understanding it. Resilience is about saying Yes to Change and finding positive energy also through difficult times. Being Deliberately Developmental is about saying Yes to development at individual, team and organisation level.
Say Yes,
Tina Fey, Aha Moment
and you’ll figure it out afterwards.
It’s not just about positive thinking. It’s about living a fuller life and adding to your own potential as a person and Leader. Saying Yes brings miracles and opportunities that exceed your expectations. Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt said it best during his commencement address at the University of California at Berkeley: “Find a way to say yes to things.”
So I’ve condensed eight reasons to say Yes more often.
It might be a bit edgy, a bit out of your comfort zone. Some people feel proud at the No they say; it gives them an aura of authority. But I hope you understood why such a tiny three-letter word, makes so much of a difference.
Saying “Yes” requires work, commitment, and accountability, and sometimes that scares people away, especially if they feel unprepared or unmotivated. But here’s the reality: a positive response will always give you more than a no. A no is guaranteed failure. A Yes is the fun of discovery and learning.
The Power of Saying Yes is about saying yes to life and watch as life rewards you. So what do you say?
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