Starting with yes
…opens up possibilities

Starting with yes
…embraces opportunities

Starting with yes
…encourages problem solving

Starting with yes
…inspires bold thinking

Starting with yes
…motivates teams

Starting with yes
…frees dreams

Starting with yes
…may still result in a no

But if you start with a no
…you have limited where you can go

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A friend and colleague at work got me a “no button” that yells “no” in various ways when you press it. It’s humorous and a good reminder to think about saying no when appropriate. But we also know that we’re still going to always start with yes…starting from a place of yes…in our work.

Another friend and colleague added “no” quotes and statements all over my white board as a reminder that it is ok to say no at times. Again, no is perhaps the final destination, but it is not where my team or I start. We start with yes and then figure out if we can or or if we should get there…and if not, the yes turns into a no.

It’s amazing the difference working from a place of yes compared to a place of no. Starting from a place of yes, we are excited about possibilities. We explore opportunities. We are free to propose ideas, explore changes, and try things out. We are free to experience the magic that can happen with a yes.

Starting from a place of yes also invites in collaborators. It welcomes others into the conversation. It encourages outsiders to join in to explore with us. It creates community as we’re all in it together to figure out if yes is the right answer.

Starting from no stops innovation and collaboration in its tracks. It discourages problem solving and halts conversations…and just is not nearly as fun!

Starting from yes does not require taking on every opportunity. It requires knowing your limits, knowing your boundaries, understanding your commitments, and being confident that yes is the right response.

Starting from yes means that no is still on the table.

Starting from yes means that everything is still on the table.