Thursday, December 15, 2011 No, but/Yes, and
Seth Goden strikes again. Take a look at this recent blog post, titled “No.”
He doesn’t take a position in this post. But it’s certainly thought-provoking, which was his point, I’m sure. It’s easy to see the allure of saying “no” and standing firm. If you say “yes,” you might lower the bar and have to perform limbolike acrobatics to achieve your original goals.
However, a client recently reminded me of a seminar at a Society of Marketing Professional Services conference I attended several years ago about the power of Yes versus No, And versus But. Positive trumps negative; connect instead of divide.
I wonder: Does a company actually achieve more if it lowers the bar?
I’ll ask this differently. If given the chance to deliver a service not currently part of its repertoire, should a company say, per Goden’s blog, “No, that’s not part of what we offer.” (By doing so, it retains a laser focus on its original goals and hasn’t lowered the bar.) Or could a company actually achieve more by saying, “Yes, and… (we’ll build to service it correctly, or we’ll acquire a company to complete a void)”?
Isn’t that a leapfrog mentality?
At Bader Rutter, we practice the “Yes, and…” thought process more than the opposite. In fact, ultimately we think the best approach is to carefully consider the situation, issue, question or desired outcome, and then to consider all options to reach an intended or better result.
Doing so requires time, thought and concerted effort to see beyond limits or a previously identified objective. And it often requires collaboration. As time is one of our most precious resources, this approach forces us to agree on reserving it for the sake of a better outcome. Difficult? Yes. A worthwhile investment? Absolutely.
What do you think?
agency, blogs, communication, marketing in Marketing 
Reader Comments (4)
Very well said. I actually was reading and re-reading what Seth Godin just wrote on his blog. It's very very thought-provoking.
Hmmm... maybe its less yes vs no... it might be more that Active vs Renewal cycle we all struggle with... so rather than 'no' its 'slow down'... check out this blog post on the topic... HBR article
Thanks, Sunnie!
Michael - good thinking. I mentioned reserving time for the sake of a better outcome. Certainly that could happen during -- and in fact might be benefitted by -- the renewal cycle. Thanks for reading and commenting! Anna