Live with a Bias Towards Yes!

Most of the best opportunities in my career, and life for that matter, have come from being the person who says yes. ?

Being open to new assignments and events will expand your network and shape your path. This is especially true for early-career professionals. ?

I became a professional fundraiser, for example, by saying yes to a friend who needed help organizing a fundraiser event. My job and skillset at the time didn’t include fundraising, but that event led to a full-time role doing just that.?

Thousands of people and so many doors were opened to me by saying yes that one time; I can’t imagine what my life would look like today if I hadn't said yes to putting on that event.? I could have easily said it wasn’t my job- it wasn’t. I could have easily said I didn’t have the experience- I didn’t. I could have easily said I didn’t have time- I was the political director of a state party one month out from an?election, which involved working 14-hour days six days a week, and it was about to go to seven days a week.????

Later in my career, I would go on to take on new titles, roles, and responsibilities in the same fashion, not always getting raises along with it. But by saying yes, I became a VP of Fundraising, then added Conference and Event planning to my resume, and finally Public Affairs, Marketing, and Crisis Communication. ?

?When you’re open to new professional experiences, others see you as a person who isn’t afraid to branch out or?give back. If?you maintain a willingness to take on new tasks/projects at work, you will get more tasks and projects at work. That’s a good thing, especially for early career folks. Grunt work can turn into project management which can turn into department management. It’s all about your perspective and approach. ?

I should note that living with a bias towards yes doesn’t mean you always say yes.? Sometimes it pays to be strategically selective with your time- particularly when your family or career goals require more focus.? But you should always try to get to yes. ? Also if you have a bias towards yes, your No's become rare but more powerful-saying yes, can help you say no when you need to.

Be it a business deal, a new career opportunity, or the beach trip you want to plan for Labor Day, approaching new challenges with a?“how do we get to yes” mentality will get you there quicker.?

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Three Rules of Yes!?

How do we get to yes??

Walking into any conversation with a “how do we get to yes” approach requires you to actively listen to objections, utilize creativity, and provideing flexibility on how to get there.???

What do I have to risk by saying yes???

Saying yes once is just that once; it doesn’t commit you to anything in the future. But it does signal to the asker that you are a safe person to ask. Our primal fears of rejection are a big reason people don’t ask and studies have shown, we all vastly overestimate the risk of rejection.???

As hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky once said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. This applies to asking and saying yes!?

Yes!? This is how we get there.??

Sometimes an idea or offer is not ready for yes. However, agreeing to the concept puts you in the driver's seat to get there. I often give back by finding the flaws, unconsidered problems, weaknesses, and threats or challenges. However, when I accompany my desire to say yes others are more open to hearing?about the challenges ahead, and the effort is improved by teaming up optimism and critical analysis.???

Chaz Cirame is the Founder of Recruiting Firm Big Fish; he also serves as Senior Advisor to Iron Light and President of Cc External Affairs.? He is the Co-Host of Rules of Networking, a 5,000 members Professional Development Community.??