In current business phraseology, there are a number of
popular words creeping into today’s vocabulary, such as: big picture, tipping
point, critical mass, paradigm, cross-elasticity of demand, network marketing,
leverage, outsourcing, actionable item,
C-Level, best practices, core competency, verticals, low hanging fruit,
rain maker, scalable, uber, synergies, restricting resources, work-life
balance, unique value proposition, streamlining, managing up and across, zero
sum game, win-win deal, cube farm, competitive advantage, team players, fast
track, bleeding edge technology, steep learning curve, dynamic risk, empowerment, and the list goes
on and on.
What is missing is one of the oldest, yet one of the most
powerful words in today’s vocabulary, and that word is simply the word, “NO.”
So, why is it that we have such a hard time saying this
simple, two-letter word? Let’s take a
look at yourself: are you constantly overloaded with work, working past the
deadline, overstressed, the last person in the office to leave, and the only
person in the office to consistently work 80 hours per week just to keep
up. All these are the consequences of
not learning to say “NO” effectively.
Let’s make a distinction here between attempting too much
and the inability to say NO. Those who attempt too much usually think they can
do it all– besides no one can do the task or project as well as they can. This
person projects maximum confidence about their ability (they usually let
everyone know their amazing ability), in fact, they continually offer to take
on more and more tasks and projects. They often think it makes them maintain
their status of being the Super Achiever.
But, in the end they are setting themselves up for a great deal of
stress, and possibly failure. These people usually have no priorities and
therefore cannot distinguish between the important and the unimportant, the
critical and non-critical, and the strategic and the non-strategic. So, they
believe that everything has to be done and they are the only one that can get
the job done.
Being unable to say NO is a function of: not knowing how or when to say NO, having the
need to please, feeling the need for constant recognition, or being afraid of
offending. As a result, it is easier to say Yes to requests that should be
turned down or delegated.
The flip side to this is an efficient and organized person
knows their strategic plan and goals, their specific KPI’s (Key Performance
Indicators), their job responsibilities that they alone are accountable for,
and a clear understanding of their priorities. It is much easier, to say NO to
taking on new tasks or projects which do not fit into their specific goals, job
responsibilities, and priorities.
NO from an Employee .
. .
So, have happens when, as you the business owner, you ask
your employees to complete a task and you are told NO? As the boss, find out
the other projects and tasks they are working on. Have them clearly define
their work load and then you decide where the new assignment should fall in the
list of assignments they are currently involved in. Then, let your employee
know the priorities and deadlines for each, so you can have someone effectively
manage their work flow and demands. Managing this way, there is no way your
employee can be offended, as you are putting them in charge of guiding you in
the decision making process.
Saying NO is just as important in your personal life.
Finding yourself so busy with organizations, committees and kids’ activities
can be just as stressful. Again, decide which are most important, and which your
priorities are, and which can be put off until another time. This will help you
say no when one more person comes to you asking you to chair another project or
committee.
In the beginning it
was easy . . .
In the beginning, an entrepreneur looks for all
opportunities. In the beginning, the tendency is to say "Yes" to
everything! "Yes" to this customer. "Yes" to this employee.
"Yes" to this idea, process, system, or marketing plan. "Yes"
to this product or service mix. As you gain business momentum and business
maturity, you begin to see that good opportunities are those that enhance your
company’s strengths, increase brand awareness, increase marketing share, and
reinforces your strategic plan. Opportunities that don’t meet these criteria's
should be met with a polite but firm, “NO, thank you” and then delegated or
scrapped altogether.
Some entrepreneurs never learn to say “NO” or in some cases
they learn to say “NO” to everything.
This in turn creates an environment that can lead to stifling of
creating thinking, killing workers motivation and ultimately creating a less
than transparent communication flow.
Therefore, consider all the options first:
- Is this a something that warrants further consideration?
- Is this something that needs my full attention?
- Is this something that someone else can do effectively?
- Is this something that needs to be done now or later?
- Does this make me money or cost me money?
Consider the following . . . In a $1 million company, the business owner works an average 2,000 hours per year, this results in the business owners time worth $500 per hour. So, is it worth the business owner’s time to do this task or responsibility at $500 per hour?
PS: Here is a very funny video from Bob Newhart, about changing your habits and behavior . . . http://youtu.be/BYLMTvxOaeE
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