Saying “maybe,” when you mean “no,” keeps false hope alive.
Avoiding “no” doesn’t make you kind. It makes you deceptive.
Stop strangling progress with “maybe.”
Deceptive Substitutes for “No”
We’ll see.
Let’s see what you come up with.
Ask me another time.
Not now (without a clear timeframe).
Don’t leave talent hanging.
The stories you tell shape the emotions you feel.
Emotions can’t distinguish truth from fiction. You feel real fear watching a horror movie. Novels produce sadness, anger, compassion, and joy.
We cling to the emotions our fantasies create.
Be the architect of your perspective, not the victim of your fantasies.
Pushing uncommitted people is like driving a car without gas.
Commitment solves:
Foot-dragging.
Excuse-making.
Constant supervision.
Commitment turns intention into action.
Compliance is forced. Commitment is given. The difference is relationship.
3 Ways to Ignite Commitment
Rituals establish expectations. When someone says, “Good morning,” you respond in kind. When someone extends their hand, you extend yours.
You exceed expectations by disrupting patterns.
Exceed expectations by disrupting comfortable habits. The unexpected wakes sleepwalkers.
Don’t simply manage the routine. Interrupt it.
Negativity is a way of explaining. Change the explanation. Change the outcome.
Pessimists explain problems as: Permanent. Personal. Pervasive.
Optimistic leaders explain problems as: Temporary. Specific. Changeable.
“Finding temporary and specific causes for misfortune is a sign of hope.” Martin Seligman
Reject requirements you can’t defend.
Dead policies scare people into submission. Established practices need an exorcism.
Are today’s requirements good ideas gone bad?
“Simplifiers are accelerators.” Jon McNeill
Learn five questions that challenge requirements.
