Often under-appreciated: How to say “yes”

When it comes to time management, much emphasis is placed on the importance of saying “no.” While this is undeniably crucial, the ability to say “yes” effectively is equally valuable, though often under-appreciated.

This is because you might assume that a request is more complete and thought-through than it actually is. Or you don’t want to look incompetent and make yourself vulnerable by asking too many questions or asking repeatedly for clarification, examples, etc.

However, it’s best to be clear about what exactly you’re being asked to do when you get a new assignment or say “yes” to something. Assignments and requests may be incomplete or not carefully prepared, which often leads to wasted time and work that must be redone. Therefore, a good handing over of tasks and assignments is absolutely crucial. And when you’re the receiver of the request, you have a big part of the responsibility to ensure that you work on the right things.

So, when you take on a new task or project, you should clarify the expectations before you begin. It doesn’t matter who the request comes from; you want to ask for clarification if there’s anything vague or confusing or something you don’t understand. Even if it feels uncomfortable to admit that you don’t understand, it’s better to swallow your pride and ask for clarification until you fully understand what you’re being asked. Because the alternative is worse: you could risk working in a wrong direction.

Thus, if a request is unclear, you must work with the requester to improve it. That’s also in the requester’s interest, who may not have given the request due consideration before asking you. Actually, when you ask for clarification and more information before you say yes, you’re helping both of you.

The anatomy of a good “yes”

So, what does a good yes look like? Basically, it consists of four pieces of necessary information:

1. Who is requesting it? This isn’t always obvious; for example, if the requester is more than one person, like in “We would like you to . . .” or “The architecture team wants . . .” In such cases, who should you then ask for clarifications? Who will decide when it’s done? You need to know who is ultimately responsible for the request.
2. What is being asked? You need to know what kind of action or deliverable is being requested and have it sufficiently detailed to estimate the amount of work. Ask for samples, templates, examples, and previous versions to help you better understand what’s being asked.
3. When does it have to be finalized? You need to understand the time frame of the request. Note that ASAP is not helpful because that can mean different things to different people. Always ask for a specific deadline.
4. What are the acceptance criteria? How will you know when you are “done”? This is called “Definition of Done” in the software industry because it can be ambiguous what “done” really means. Is it when the programming is done? When is the testing done? And what kind of testing? What an acceptable standard is will be a matter of interpretation! So, clarify the standards and criteria for completion to avoid any ambiguity.

For most tasks and assignments, except the smallest, consider writing down your understanding of what’s being requested, using this structure of the four pieces of necessary information. Be as clear and concise as you can and then share it with the requester, for example, by email. End by asking for confirmation, e.g.,: “Is this correctly understood?” That way, you significantly reduce the risk of costly misunderstandings.

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This is the tenth in a series of 14 articles that will convey some main concepts of our book 12 Universal Skills to LinkedIn readers – especially those at the beginning of their careers.

For more on the topic, have a look at our book 12 Universal Skills: The Beginner’s Guide to a Successful Work Life.