Don't Say NO Before You Have To

About half-way through my recent job transition I adopted a philosophy that allowed me to keep a much more open mind for a much longer period of time when considering opportunities. To my surprise, now after landing, in my interactions with team members and colleagues across our organization – and even in my personal life – I find myself employing that same philosophy, and even sharing it with others from my networking groups. Simply: Don’t say “No” before you have to.

In practice in my job search DSNB4YHT changed my behavior and approach, and actually opened more doors. Here’s what I experienced: I would contact the hiring manager or company for a role that I considered “1 step below” where I was targeting. It sounds counter-intuitive, but hear me out. I was confident in my experience and ability to add value at a higher level, and a posted position signifies a hiring manager with unmet needs. By not rejecting the thought of a “lower” role I could:

o  Position myself as someone who could contribute at a high level on a contract basis in the interim while they conducted their search, &/or

o  Have a credible discussion about their organization’s broader needs and the possibility of amplifying the role

I had many more contact points using this strategy than previously when solely looking at lateral or 1-up moves. This allowed me to really practice and polish my interview demeanor. Those additional conversations, along with the positive feedback that yes actually I do have valuable experience and the “detachment”, if you will, from “having to perform to get the job” in those less-tenured role interviews all contributed to a greater sense of calm and self-confidence when the big opportunities came along.

Now, in project team meetings and considering new approaches to growing our business, I catch myself thinking DSNB4YHT when ideas are floated. It allows me to fully hear what the other person is proposing and forces me to slow down enough to consider their history, context and point of view on a given topic. I believe this leading to better team engagement, and everyone sharing their voice. In short, all my professional and personal negotiations seem to be enriched by simply not digging in too soon and “not saying NO before I have to”.