How to Say "YES" Wisely

For every person who says you should say "yes" to an opportunity, it won't be hard to find someone encouraging you to say "no." Why is that? How can it be so hard to assess opportunities and pick which ones to pursue?

Well, for starters, let's define what we mean by an opportunity. I define it as that moment when a need connects with a resourced response.

If we use that definition, then we quickly realize that many things we think are opportunities really are not. Does this situation represent a real and understandable need? Do you have a response in mind that will meet that need? Do you have the resources to mount that response? Many times when situations present themselves, I would struggle to answer all three of those questions in the affirmative.

This means that, in reality, many of the things I call opportunities are not actually that at all. They are imposters trying to distract me from the real deal. They are shiny objects that I wish were an opportunity but have not proven themselves out yet. That doesn't mean they are bad or may not someday be an opportunity, but to call them that today would be a mistake.

In our quest to identify real opportunities and faithfully explore them, we need to break down the three key words in my definition so that we can better respond to the situations that arise as we innovate.

A TRUE NEED: In a consumer culture driven by impulse purchases, discerning true need from the passing need requires great wisdom. Whole books can and have been written on this, but let me simply add one thought. A true need comes out of a desire to be whole, complete and all that we are meant to be. Passing needs are at best bandaids and at worst self deception. Find ways to discern if the need you are assessing will lead to abundant and full life for those who are asking for it. If you find one of those, jump on it and don't get distracted by all the passing needs that aren't really a solution for anything.

A HELPFUL RESPONSE: Anyone can respond to anything, and in an era of unfiltered banter, most do. But that is not what I'm talking about here. For every true need there are helpful responses. Is the response you could offer to this need truly helpful? The way you would know is if your response is meeting that need and producing the full life for those who have it. You might wonder how you would know this. One easy test is whether those who can articulate the need can also explain why your response is a helpful solution. The key word there is "helpful." After all, if our response is not helpful what is the real value of acting at all?

HOLISTIC RESOURCING: Our helpful responses are only as good as the resources we bring to back them up. We might have a very appropriate response to a need, but if we don't have the know-how, people, funding, relationships, raw materials and so on, what good will it do anyone. While it is harder to discern need and response, the issue of resourcing is where most good ideas get bogged down. In our optimism to bring real help to a true need, we blindly believe that the resources will follow our good intentions. Sometimes they do. But most of the time they do not. Part of our discernment process needs to be an assessment of our resourcing in the most holistic way possible.

So to recap, true need met with real help that is fueled by holistic resourcing should likely lead to a "yes."

I have a feeling that if we followed that simple decision tree we would end up saying "no" much more often.