Hearing the Word “No” Helps You Succeed
Most of us avoid failure. We don’t like to hear the word “No.” But in reality, if we want to be successful, we should delight in hearing the word “No.” The Public Speaker explains.
Lisa B. Marshall
Ever hear that phrase, “Failure is not an option?” Well, it turns out, failure should not only be an option, it should be a goal! Let me explain.
I recently spoke with Andrea Waltz, co-author of the Amazon bestseller Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There. Andrea explained why we should be working to hear the word “No” instead of trying so hard to avoid it.
She says that fear of failure is what keeps most of us from succeeding. We need to change our thinking so that we start to look for failure. Failure must be an option.
To be successful, plan to fail. It’s that simple. Here are 5 steps Andrea sugested you take to start looking for “No” right now:
- Adopt the mindset that every “No” takes you a step closer to “Yes.”
- Set a goal for the number of “No’s” you’re willing to hear. It can be a small goal, such as “I want to hear one ‘No’ today when I present my idea.”
- Once you get the “No,” celebrate it. If you’re a leader or manager, set the tone on your team for celebrating (rather than condemning) failures.
- Drop the perfectionist mindset. If you never let anyone see your work before it’s ready, you won’t get the feedback you need and you won’t improve.
- Show gratitude. Be grateful for the people who tell you”No.” Be grateful for the small successes you achieve.
Fear of failure is the biggest obstacle on your way to success. If you can train yourself to look for “No” instead of hiding from it, you’re more likely to get to “Yes.”
This is Lisa B. Marshall, Helping you maximize sales, manage perceptions, and enhance leadership through keynotes, workshops, books, and online courses. Passionate about communication; your success is my business.
If you want even more success in your life, I invite you to read my latest book, Smart Talk and listen to my other podcast, Smart Talk: Inspiring Conversations with Exceptional People.
No! image courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.