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We have all been there before. Your boss (or customer) demands that you deliver their request in significantly less time than you think it will take.

Do you speak up and seemingly risk your job by being the “No” person? Or do you give in, resigning to the reality that this is a game you cannot win?

In your job today, what do you do when you are in this situation?

There may be times when you actually have to say “No.” But  “Yes, but” and “Choose” are powerfully effective means to reframe situations where you are facing unrealistic expectations.

A recent workshop participant named Terry headed home after a day of learning where this topic was discussed. Late in the evening Terry received a call from his boss who told him some additional scope was required on another project Terry was juggling. Terry decided to give “Yes, but” a try.

“Yes, we can do that, but it will have an impact on the current project I’m working on. Though I don’t know for sure, my best guess is that it will delay our current project by around 2 weeks.”

Silence. Terry told me he wondered how the boss would reply.

The reply came. “Hmm…. That’s a problem. Let me go back and see if I can get this pushed out to the next release. Have a great night.”

Terry was ecstatic! He came in all bubbly the next morning and told the story to the entire class. “It works!” he proclaimed.

When you are faced with daunting demands, make sure you do your homework. Look for options to make the boss’ request possible. When in doubt, error on the side of business needs instead of what’s easiest for you or your team. Bring your options to the decision-maker, along with a recommendation. (NOTE: I have learned it's best to come armed with a recommendation, making it less likely they will select an option that you do not prefer!).

Whether you use “Yes, but” or “Choose”, you demonstrate that you understand their request and are not immediately discounting it. In addition, you are showing ownership by bringing options to the table.

The “No” person doesn’t do that: they are just a wall of resistance. Being the “No” person isn’t sustainable at most organizations these days.

Taking Action

Andy Kaufman

Our Leadership Fast Track Program is designed for business professionals who want to accelerate their ability to lead their teams, influence others, and deliver results. We will turbo charge your ability to lead with confidence, take focused action, and achieve the results you desire.

Do you have to increasingly influence without authority? Do you have more work to do than time to do it? Do you need to find ways to get your team more engaged and develop the people around you?

The Leadership Fast Track Program is designed to accelerate your ability to handle these and many more realities of today's business environment.

As a subscriber to Horizon Time, you can save even more than the already reduced Early Bird Registration fee. Click here to learn more!

Each month I am amazed at the feedback I get from people who have received cards from me. Something as simple as a card, in this day in age, helps you stand out from the crowd, whether with colleagues, customers, friends, or family.

But what if the same card system provided an additional income stream for you? If you are an entrepreneur (or a budding entrepreneur at heart), Send Out Cards could be part of your strategy of creating additional streams of income.

The model is very straightforward. If you sign-up as an Entrepreneur with Send Out Cards, you earn commissions when others in your circle of influence sign up. Plus you get a percentage of what they spend on a monthly basis in cards.

I'm guessing you know some business owners such as realtors, consultants, salespeople, and more who could use an edge in building their businesses. I have clients who are churches, corporate executives, and fundraisers, and they are all using the system to build deeper relationships with people they serve. My goal is to help them get their marketing paid for by using this system.

I'm not personally planning on buying a Swiss chalet with my earnings from Send Out Cards, but after only a year my cards are paid for by other people (and I send a lot of cards!). My goal is to have it eventually pay for our mortgage each month.

Want to at least check it out? Join me for a free walkthrough of the system via a web conference:

Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Time: 7:30pm Central Daylight Savings Time

Click here to register today. I look forward to meeting you!

Horizon Time is written by Andy Kaufman and is available via e-mail or on the Web for all who register.  You are invited to forward this to anyone interested in growing their leadership skills!

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You can contact Andy by phone toll-free at (866) 88 I-LEAD (866-884-5323), or by e-mail at andy@i-leadonline.com.

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