Beware The "No" Storm. Where And Why We Need "Yes"!

Some of the most unpleasant people in business are those who say "no" all the time. I simply can't stand being around people who won't even try to find a way to "yes." Senior executives are more likely to say "no" to much of what comes across their desks. All you have to do is read the musings of Warren Buffett or Steve Jobs to learn that these guys became a best practice at saying "no." However, these are not the people I am talking about here.

Just think of it, someone recently said "yes" to the idea that everyone should own a home in the US regardless of their income, net worth or if they had a job. Someone else thought it was a good idea to make CDO's and other debt securities on the backs of the newly written mortgages. Someone at the rating agencies decided to say "yes" when asked if these securities should be rated triple A. And someone also decided to say "yes" when the proposal was made to inject money into the banks. Finally, someone said "yes" when asked if the banks would lend the borrowed money to people and businesses to rekindle the economy.

So I get it, "no" can be a lot safer than "yes".

When you are at or near the top of a company the flow of ideas and requests is constant. Therefore, you are likely to say "no" because most may run counter to or off the mark of your strategy. You should expect senior people to be objective first and decisive after careful thought.  Where "no" becomes problematic is often out of sight of your top management.

In my experience, the "no" storm folks that do significant damage are often in middle management. These are the people delivering on the tactical aspects of your strategy by managing those performing the real work that is at the heart of the business. It is critical that they think carefully before acting, particularly when they are deciding against implementing something that supports the strategy. Folks with this type of attitude need coaching on how others are perceiving them and, more importantly, on how they are impeding the flow of work in the company. I once had a guy who disagreed with everything I brought or suggested. Over time, I stopped going to him and went instead to one of the people on his team. Inside of three months, he was separated, and we promoted the guy with the can-do attitude.

There is a fine line here as we shouldn't just hire "yes boss" people and I am sure I haven't. My staff and I debate and question one another. I can count on one hand the number of times I have pulled rank over the past twenty years. That doesn't mean we haven't left a room or call with a red face but as I often say I consider myself to be subordinate to those who I lead.

They try to do what I think we should do. That is real.

Often the "no" storm folks back up their assertion with my favorite quote of ineptitude which is, "You don't understand". If I had a dollar for every instance of someone saying this, I would be sitting on top of a mountain somewhere calling it my home. To be honest, sometimes they are right, and it 's nice to flesh out the issues and develop mutual understanding. However most times the "no" storm folks are trying to defend themselves with their perceived understanding of your inability. These people are similar to the playground bullies we all remember as kids.

So here is the last of my pet peeves for the "no" storm gang. Don't tell me how long you have been doing whatever you do or what your title is. Longevity might just be the floor of your incompetence. Something like "I have been doing this forever" or "I 'm a VP" or "I know someone who says". I say bullshit. I could care less about your resume; I want to understand the results you have generated.

Lead me to results and I am likely to accept your "no."

My Best,