Let Your “Yes” Be “Yes” and Your “No” Be “Yes, But…”

Always finding a way--one of the greatest skills for a Government Acquisition professional to have.?Some may say that this kind of skill is developed through years of experience in learning the nuances of acquisition laws and policies and understanding the sometimes hidden flexibilities within. Others might say that the skill is the result of zealous energy and proactive problem solving—a characteristic reflected in many bright and enthusiastic college graduates.?It’s certainly found in both.

I remember a particular staff meeting in late 2019 with Lt Gen John N.T. “Jack” Shanahan, the first director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC).??Someone in the room was highlighting some bureaucratic difficulties which were casting a roadblock on mission success—leaning us toward an answer of “No” to our mission partners. ???The General asked what it would take for the answer to be “Yes”—and the employee explained all the difficult steps needed to get the task done with regulatory compliance.?The General looked at him as if to say “Well, there you go!”?Addressing the room, he said, “Don’t say ‘no’—instead… say ‘Yes, but…’?and then communicate the ‘but…’”

While this meeting was not particularly uncommon, it was memorable for me because I remember the many regulatory procurement and acquisition obstacles my team was facing at the time.?Many procurement rules were purportedly at odds with procuring and delivering AI at the speed of relevance.?I knew that the General’s point was not to always make things happen despite regulatory hurdles.?Sometimes the answer is clearly “No, we can’t do this,” particularly when there are clear violations of law, ethics, or fairness.??Instead, the General was trying to recalibrate our communication style and attitude toward the challenge.?Starting your answer with “Yes” conveys positivity and collaboration and good-faith with our mission partners. But maybe more importantly, “Yes, but…” forces problem solving and critical thinking, whereas “No” ends the discussion entirely.

Indeed, when you apply critical thinking to “Yes, but…,” it gets even better.?This is where the magic of Acquisition Modernization can occur for the benefit of government, industry, and academia.?Is there a better way to “Yes”???Can we make the “but…” more feasible? In contrast, the lack of a “Yes, but…” critical thinking mentality not only damages DoD missions, but also damages public-private partnerships among industry and academic. It destroys any appeal for non-traditional companies to offer emerging technology solutions for the benefit of our nation.?

Let’s take federal contracting as a use case.??It is dangerous for contracting professionals to jump to “No” quickly without resorting to critical thinking, but they can do something even worse. They can supplement an ill-informed “No” with the “It’s the law” card.?This is an ace-up-the-sleeve move, often used as a defense mechanism by those carrying a limited understanding of procurement policies.?Even so, it’s hard to fight the “It’s the law” card as requirement owners or industry/academic partners, especially when federal contracting is not their area of expertise.??It works a little like a guilt trip—shaming one for even trying to work a solution that is seemingly at odds with the intricate web of procurement regulations.?We must avoid this. Contracting and acquisition professionals are meant to be trusted advisors in executing the mission within regulatory parameters, for continuously growing in knowledge and skills, and for building expertise in providing creative solutions and strategies that get to “Yes.”?It’s a big responsibility, and a bad advisor translates into the blind leading the blind.?

How can the acquisition professional get into the habit of saying “Yes, but…” instead of “No”???To oversimplify—by continuously growing in knowledge and in zeal.??A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing when it comes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and accompanying rules. Aim to move your knowledge beyond a little bit.?It is a true statement that the more you understand the FAR and other procurement rules, the more you will understand the flexibilities that they provide.?Add zeal to knowledge, and you begin to discover various strategies in creative ways and build up the critical thinking aspects.?A sharp, active, analytical mind turns the once obvious “No” answers to “Actually, yes…but…”

Is there any application for our industry and academia partners??Is the answer: “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘Yes, but it will cost you…’”???In many cases, yes—perhaps.???But our current technological challenges require critical thinking and creative problem solving from all players in this robust whole-of-nation public-private endeavor.?Many times the creative solution to the seemingly difficult problem does not involve more resourcing.

So, let us work together to get to yes. -- whether it is a solid “Yes” or a “Yes, but…” - ?in order to enjoy the fruits of emerging technology for the defense of our nation!