The problem with positive people

Positive people have a problem – a very real one that can and does hurt the business. They can demonstrate resilience through tough times, adapt to unplanned, unwanted change, and model behaviour that promotes the right values. But there’s one thing they struggle with, and that is to say ‘no’.

No is negative, by definition, right? Well, not according to Warren Buffet:

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

Economics is the allocation of scarce resources. That’s not breaking news any more than there’s a difference between urgent and important. Prioritisation is a necessary evil. You know you cannot please all the people all the time, and yet still you’re trying.

Your job as leader is to protect and drive your staff so they can keep your stakeholders happy and your competitors on the backfoot. You can only do all that by doing fewer things better.

What’s the issue?

Here’s what you think happens when you say no:

1 You upset people – and who wants to do that?!

2 It makes it look like you’re not competent; that you don’t care; that you’re lazy; that you play favourites.

3 Those who have been no’d will retaliate, now or later, the consequences of which could adversely affect you much more than sucking it up and just saying yes in the first place.

4 You’re refusing to do value-adding work, and that just feels plain wrong.

5 It lets competitors (internal or external) fill the void and get ahead – with the risk that they’ll stay ahead long after this initiative is a dot in the rear-view mirror.

Here’s what actually happens when you don’t say no:

1 No-one understands what’s really important.

2 Resources are spread too thinly, increasing failure rates.

3 Stakeholders become increasingly unhappy as promises are routinely broken.

4 Motivation levels tank as people work long hours to make marginal headway on a to do list that has the same qualities as Willy Wonka’s ever-lasting gobstopper.

5 The organisational vacuum is filled with a bunfight of who shouts loudest, political string-pulling and personal pet projects.

All of which bends your productivity line in the wrong direction.

Consider this

1 Understand your capacity. Your people’s time and skills, your factories’ output, your warehouses’ space, your supply base’s flexibility to expand etc.

2 Understand how much capacity each initiative will consume.

3 Understand the risk-reward of each initiative.

4 Understand intangible factors, such as politics and brand impact.

5 Make the tough calls.

Easy decisions, hard life. Hard decisions, easy life.

Try this

Switch your focus from what you are going to do to what you’re not going to do.

Cull to cultivate success.

At HPC, we developed Adaptability Based Leadership with the express purpose of raising productivity through more engaged, better led staff. If that approach resonates, contact me and let’s get you started on the next phase of your journey towards mastering leadership.