Does someone want to punch you in the nose?
Your automatic “NO” makes people want to punch you in the nose. It really does. Bring out the punch factor that is.
You know the one I’m talking about; that knee jerk “NO”. The one people use as a defense mechanism. The one people throw out before they’ve even given someone’s fresh idea any real thought.
We have all worked with that person. The one that says “NO” to everything. Every new idea that their team comes up with. Every solution to any problem. They know that it won’t work. How do they know? They know because: “We tried that 7 years ago, and NO”, or “The system can’t possible handle that, so NO” or “I learned in college that, that won’t work, so NO”. We have all worked with the “NO” person and we have all been so frustrated that we have secretly considered punching them in the nose.
What we don’t realize is that we all play that role at one time or another. We all get comfortable in the way things are and someone new comes around with fresh ideas that pull us out of our comfort zone and before we know it we are the ones digging in our heels and saying “NO” to perfectly good ideas that at the very least are worth a few moments of thought.
I know, I know. Right now you are thinking “But Elizabeth, what about those times when the ideas really are just bad ideas?”
Yes. You are right. Sometimes new ideas really are shit nuggets. But if you don’t give the idea a chance, turn it over in your mind for a moment, ponder it’s strengths, weaknesses and possibilities, then you can’t say that “NO” is the best answer. All you can say is that you rejected something because it made you feel uncomfortable.
The next time something comes up that gives you the instinctive “NO”, take a moment and think about it. Identify why you feel that strong “NO” response. Are there pieces of the idea that could work? Visualize a future after the idea is in place – is there value? Once you have spent some time really thinking through the option then you can say yes or no and feel confident in your answer.
Have a great week!
e
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