Practice No...
Welcome to the next edition of this little weekly newsletter.
When I sit down to write this to you each week, I look at the purpose of this series (which you spend time reading -- I completely appreciate and thank you!).
"Michael Vizdos shares actionable tips about increasing productivity by doing less. Sounds counter-intuitive, right?"
I try to stay true to that goal each week.
And your participation is key too (see the "Your Next Step" below).
The Problem:?I can't say No
This week, imagine we are sitting in the shade on a beautiful day.
Just hanging out watching the world go by and doing its thing.
ME: "Hey, how are you?"
YOU: "I keep taking on stuff that I know I should say NO to but can't."
A Sea of Regrets
First, remember that you can say No.
It's a complete sentence... watch:
"No."
The Actionable Tip: Say No
OK.
This seems easy and obvious (I am a consultant heh).
Remember though, every time we say YES to something that should have been a NO (even a hard NO), it's pulled us away from something more important.
"... increasing productive by doing less..."
Means we need to say that two letter word more often.
Bonus points if you remember: You don't have to explain the reason to anyone.
Your Next Step...
Think about the problem I've described and my actionable tip above.
Here is the part where YOU contribute an actionable tip for others who are reading this article....
In the comments below, share?ONE?actionable tip about?HOW and WHY you say "No" (and/or WHAT makes this difficult for you).
I look forward to read what YOU share with us in the comments below.
Thank you.
Michael Vizdos
Owner, LeanAgileTraining.com, Kitty Hawk Consulting, Agile Coach & Trainer, MBA, CST (Certified Scrum Trainer)
2 å¹´Saying no is so important. (I am not saying I say 'no' often enough or well enough myself.) One additional tip to remember, from my friend William Ury, who wrote "The Power of a Positive No" (and co-wrote "Getting to Yes"). It is this: Start with WHY you need to say know. Start with the "positive". Asker: "Could you please do this extra work this sprint...?" Answer: "I'd really like to, but between our Team commitment for the Spring (that is not looking that great), and having to go see my mother in the Cancer wing of the hospital...I have to say No." Ok, a bit dramatic, but you get the idea. Any human person would immediately see that the request for extra work just is not important enough to get done. At least not now. And you are saying, in effect, "I like you, and I would if....but, another thing or things is more important." Yes, I agree that there are jerks and there are gray situations (at least to the Asker), where at least the Asker feels their work is more important. So, not a panacea, but at least the Asker knows why. And that you considered it. And usually respects that you are sticking to your original commitment for the Sprint.
Navy Veteran | Data Science | Artificial Intelligence
2 å¹´As I step into data science formally as a career, it can feel like my choices are limited. It makes me want to accept what I can or accept less, even though I know I bring a lot of value. So as I keep searching, saying "No." is difficult. You're totally right when you talk about how failing to say "No" when you should have takes something away from you. It normalizes that part of you that caves in, that doesn't want to deal with conflict, and it sinks in some part of you as a reflection of your self-worth vs what other people ask of you. Can't say I'm very good at it yet, but I appreciate the helpful reminder. Great newsletter Michael! Also, your article/newsletter pictures are incredible. I need to look into that more ??