By Saeed Khan
Earlier this week, a coworker joked about how often he has to say “No” to requests that it’s become somewhat automatic for him. His comment reminded me of this post, so here it is again. I originally published this in Feb 2009.
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Some pearls of wisdom to follow in your day to day work and dealings.
Ignore you instincts at your own peril you do
Logic and reason are incredibly valuable tools, that unfortunately can be in short supply in many companies. But, logic works best when you know all the facts for any given situation. Remove some key facts and where will logic lead you?
While we don’t understand how it works, instinct is a critical tool for decision-making, for leadership and for success. Don’t ignore your instincts if you are troubled about a decision. In the end, despite all the data and information available, decisions are made in in the subconscious regions of our brains before the conscious side realizes it. Sounds kind of like the force doesn’t it?
Say “No”, for only then does “Yes” have meaning
Saying “Yes” to a customer or Executive request is easy. It’s the expected answer, but it’s meaningless if it is the only answer you give. Product Managers cannot be bobbleheads, nodding yes to every request. Saying “No” to a customer or executive is also easy, IF you can clearly articulate why it is the right answer. Saying “No” the first time is the most difficult, but it is also very empowering. After all, part of what everyone expects of Product Managers is their judgment in making good decisions.
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