Being in the “No”

Saying “NO.” allows you to thrive personally and professionally.

By Janet Walgren
Student Success Manager

The DARE program is a well known program across the nation. Police officers participating in the program go into schools to teach children to “Just Say No To Drugs!” Recently, it has come to my attention that many adults need a DARE program specifically tailored to their own unique business and personal needs. Most adults are very adept at saying “No. Because . . . ” which usually ends in a debate, justification or a discussion about issues that are none of another person’s business; however, I have found that most adults are not very good at just saying “No.” or “NO!!!”

Don’t get me wrong, it is important to counsel with your advisors. You should brainstorm with your power team. Brainstorming allows creative thinking in a safe, structured environment where there are no ‘dumb ideas.’ Because the worst idea may spark thoughts leading to the best ideas, judgment is reserved and impulse decisions are avoided. Counseling and brainstorming allow for thoughtful exploration and discussion of “what if . . . ?” scenarios. After the counseling and brainstorming sessions have concluded, the “best” solutions and policy decisions can be made by those who are privileged to know ALL the facts.

When it is time to implement a policy or action, the time for debate has ended. Unfortunately, this is the time when other curious or affected parties want to start a debate with the facilitator for the policy or decision. Often, the facilitator then tries to justify the policy, action or decision with “Because . . . ” resulting in waffling, water-cooler gossip and unauthorized impulse decisions that end with contention. Simply stating a fact, policy or decision is not only good enough, it is usually the best course of action.

Let me give you a few examples of how the “No!” principle works:

When a company needs to reduce its workforce to survive the recession, if the officers publicly announce their weak bottom line, the resulting lack of confidence affects the company’s workforce, stock and credit rating. The fact that the need for change exists will not change by allowing the need to become general knowledge in advance of the change. Grand announcements, or even water-cooler gossip, often cause the most talented, productive employees to dust off their resumes, leaving a vacuum that is almost impossible to fill.

If the same company, with the same need, used effective counseling and brainstorming procedures (limiting involvement to only key players), creative solutions could be more easily found to reduce or eliminate the need. In the end, if the need still exists, the confidentiality allows the company to trim its less talented, more costly or least productive staff without wreaking havoc on its productive employees, thus ensuring a greater chance of survival for the whole.

Recently, I was talking with an employee who worked at a company that was in this situation. The company had a division with eight employees who processed 50,000 units per month. The company officers counseled together, then quietly evaluated the productivity of each employee in the division. Finally, four employees were laid off, resulting in a reduced productivity of only 3,000 units per month.

When the decision was announced, talk of seniority, family dependants and other personal issues ensued. Then, one employee asked the most junior employee, a young single woman, if she felt guilty for stealing the job of an employee who had a family to support. The junior employee simply stated, “NO!” She could have added, “because . . . I’m responsible for 50% of the department’s remaining productivity!” It was true, but she didn’t say it. She understood that explaining the management’s carefully considered, well thought-out decision would only serve to alienate her co-worker.

What applies in business can be applied in a family setting as well. Everyone is selling something, that’s how the world works. When “No!” becomes “No. Because . . . ” the resulting affect on the family’s finances is often manifested in a big screen TV or a stake in some other nonessential, non-productive item. Usually, the money could have been used much more productively.

“Because . . . ” allows a slick salesperson (or child) the opportunity to overcome legitimate objections. When “No.” means “No.” the person who says it has the opportunity to consult with their advisors and brainstorm to examine the “what if’s” involved. Then, a more reasoned outcome usually prevails. After the process of brainstorming, counseling and proper consideration has taken place, “No.” can become “No!!!” or a new policy or decision can be announced and implemented and anyone with a need to know (and the right to know), will already be privy to the “because . . . ”

Learning this philosophy will help you to preserve your financial and human resources so you can use them, after careful consideration, in a way that allows you to thrive.