The Power of Saying Yes: 5 Times You May Want to Say “Yes” in Your Career
Photo by Drahomír Posteby-Mach on Unsplash
Have you ever noticed how many e-mails you receive during a day with little or nothing to do with your job? Generally, you're able to separate your e-mails into three main categories:
Important today
Important tomorrow or later
Not important
It's the last category that I find myself saying "No" most often to - Either, "No, I don't need that service" or "no, that's not relevant or important to me." Or "no, I want it, but can't afford it or don't need it.”
For the past two decades, I've spent a lot of time deleting or responding with "no thanks" to these e-mails. However, in the past few months, I've decided to take a different approach" to a few. For a select few, I'm saying "maybe," and for an even smaller portion, I'm saying "yes."
I've realized that there is a world of possibilities when open to you when you say "yes," and the reverberations in your life are felt in places you would never anticipate. As a result, I see new possibilities that I hadn't noticed or had access to before.
As I thought about those situations, it made me realize that there are times in our careers where our first impulse might be to say, "No" or "no thank you" or "not at this time"; but in reality, we're missing opportunities that may enhance our careers. I thought I'd review five situations where you may want to say, "no," but it could be useful to say "yes."
When a supervisor asks if you want to take a development assignment.
The reason that you typically want to say "No" here is pretty straightforward. "Development assignment" is a corporate code word for "I'm giving you the opportunity to take on more work and pay you the same." Who wants to do more work for no additional benefit – raise your hands, please? I'm assuming that pretty much no one raised their hands, but the truth is that development experiences and opportunities can do just what they are called – they can develop you in ways that you had not anticipated.
First, development opportunities require you to do more work. While that seems counterintuitive to development, they are also providing you with a couple of practices that we all must be good at if we will be successful in our careers – prioritization and time management. Having too much to do gives you the chance to determine what's important and to focus on that first. Often, we try to do everything, which causes a lot of stress and can create burnout.
My good friend, Mark Heydt, talks about this in his book, Rescuing the Exhausted Corporate Hero. By focusing on what's most important, you can spend your time making the most impact. Prioritization is a great skill to have as a leader. It also helps you manage your time better – as you focus on what matters, you need to let some things go, i.e., learn to say "no." Believe me, the irony of saying "no" after I've asked you to say "yes" is not lost on me! However, in this case, by focusing on what’s important, you can align your time and priorities effectively.
When a supervisor or boss suggests that you be a mentor to someone
I can hear your response already. All of us are extremely busy at our jobs, and finding extra time to be a mentor can seem like a significant obstacle. And, I won't lie to you, done correctly – being a mentor is a time commitment.
However, it's good to note a few things –
You get to set your schedule – this is important because if you only have 30 minutes a month, you don't need to commit to more.
You are giving your time and information – but you are also receiving quite a bit. You're meeting new talented employees in the company or other companies. You are learning what's happening in the company (or other companies).
You get the chance to have your thought processes challenged! Usually, the mentees are some of the best and brightest, and I have found that my assumptions can get tested or even revised after these conversations.
You feel good giving back – it's essential to realize that all leaders have had some help / guidance along the way. This is your chance to create a lasting impact in the lives of our future.
That said, qualify upfront the rationale behind selecting you as a mentor. If motivation aligns with your strengths, experiences, or capabilities – go for it; if not – you may want to consider whether this particular mentor / mentee relationship is the right one.
When you weigh all of these benefits, it's almost a no-brainer to say yes.
When you are asked to take a step back or lateral move
Okay, I admit this is similar to a development move, but with one primary difference in my mind. With a development opportunity – you are generally still in a similar role or can see how the path forward is still an advancement in your career. Taking a lateral move or step back can be challenging to know how that step equals positive movement forward – and yet, it can. I'll start with lateral movement. I write about this in my book; You're Worth It! Navigating Your Career in Corporate America, but according to research by Gartner, organizations today are getting flatter, which means fewer opportunities to move upward. As a result, many companies are focusing on "experiences." See the connection to development experiences? The difference here however, is that you are taking a new job to gain this experience. Once you understand the benefit of why you would take a lateral move and how it fits within your development goals, it's pretty easy to say "yes" to it.
The one situation that tends to cause a lot of angst is the career step-back. I've seen many executives take a step back financially or in the corporate hierarchy throughout my career. Often it occurs when an employee is changing career direction entirely e.g., from moving from Finance to Sales or Marketing to Human Resources. Done early enough in your career, you may not need to take that "step back." But, the later you switch careers, the greater the likelihood that you may need to consider giving up a rung or two on the corporate ladder. These can indeed be the right decisions for you, but important to know how it fits your overall development.
You may not realize the benefit immediately here, but over time, I have found that people are often glad they made the move – even later in their careers.
When you are asked to present or speak to a small group, team, or business.
Now, I realize that public speaking is at the bottom of the list of what many of us want to do. Some people would literally love to watch paint dry before speaking in front of a group of people. However, if you are asked to do this, it's generally because you have been recognized as having something to offer to others. In terms of compliments, this is one of the highest.
I have made so many connections in life from opportunities to speak that I never anticipated. Some people don't need to prepare much, and others need to prepare for weeks. Regardless of where you fall on this scale, give some serious thought to sharing what you have learned with others. You will benefit more than you know.
When someone reaches out to connect with you on LinkedIn or directly to sell a service
To be honest, this is the one I used to struggle with the most. Over time, I've started to think about it differently. Putting myself in the solicitor's shoes, I've tried to think about how difficult their job is. Given that perspective, I look for ways that I might be able to say "yes" or not wholly say "no." As an example, someone reaches out to me to sell me an Onboarding package for companies. In this case, I'm not the best contact, but I forward the e-mail to that person in our company. Or in the scenario where I don't know the best person in our company to contact, I may share with the person the department where they can find the correct individual to contact. You may ask, "How is helping someone solicit services helping my career?" The most straightforward way I have found this to be helpful is in making a connection with someone new. Generally, the individuals appreciate the effort and are more likely to help you, if needed, in the future. Throughout my own career, I have found it helpful to have a broader network of professionals. You never know where you may be down the road, and I truly believe helping others in their careers has a positive effect on your own – maybe in ways you never truly are aware of. Even if it doesn't directly help your career, it falls into the "doing good for others makes you feel better" category. I find I tend to do better at work when I can do my job and help others in the process.
There you have it – five career reasons to consider saying “yes”, when your initial response feels like a “no”! When you are put in these situations in the future, you may want to think twice before saying "no." While they may seem like a hassle initially, you may find that saying "yes" will pay more dividends down the road of your career. And who knows, maybe you'll even start picking up those telemarketer calls?
Okay, maybe that was a bit too much!
You’re Worth It!
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