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Redefining Yes
By Jay Winchester
Today’s economic climate requires that we be more careful with saying yes tomorrow.
I remember working at a company in Silicon Valley that was noted for being the prime example of the high-flying entrepreneurial style and largesse that characterized the valley in those days. This company had it all: lavish college-like campus; sparkling pools; fully equipped gymnasium; restaurant-style cafeteria; free bagels, muffins, fruit, coffee and juices at every secretary’s desk; and, as one might imagine, free-spending ways. While the company manufactured advanced phone systems, it was leaking money. Fortunately, fate intervened.
As AT&T began manufacturing the recently developed personal computers that were replacing hard-wired terminals on desks everywhere, IBM made the decision to purchase a phone company- the company for which I worked. While this ended up being a case of two companies wandering far afield from what they did best, it did have a tremendous impact on employees. What was the impact? It was much more difficult to get to yes.
At this company, everyone was used to spending money. The typical budgetary and fiscal controls that marked companies like IBM were either not present or not enforced. You needed a new computer? You went to your manager, asked for it, and were given the funds to purchase it. When IBM managers began appearing on the scene, this loosey-goosey approach to spending was quickly replaced by the tightening fist of corporate finance. Suddenly, the culture of yes became the culture of financial justification, and a new word was introduced into our corporate culture: NO.
This brief journey in my personal way-back machine serves only to illustrate how important it is to learn to use YES properly. Look around our country and its business climate today. Right now, NO is a very popular word. Why? It’s simple: for too many years we said YES almost indiscriminately. When times are good, our desire to acquire grows in proportion to our new standard of living. But when times turn downward, the desire to acquire transforms into the affliction of acquisition.
As we move sluggishly toward what we all hope is a brighter future, what is clear is that we all need to redefine YES. Why? First, we need to redefine it as a defense against the free spending ways in which most of us indulged ourselves. These ways have caused lost jobs, lost homes and in many cases, lost relationships. Redefining YES provides us with protection from ourselves.
Second, we need a new definition of YES in order to provide ourselves with a sense of security. YES is not about freedom; YES is about the discerning use of permission, authority and accountability. By practicing restraint, you help ensure that the environment required to hold together your workplace, your home or your relationships is kept intact. You can then move to the tasks at hand without worrying over how the stress of the unrestrained YES will impact you tomorrow.
Finally, we need to redefine YES because a prolonged period of saying NO shunts creative thought, blunts diligence in performance, crushes morale and is a direct and immediate threat to your company’s present- and future- financial health.
So let’s set about the work of redefining YES in a manner that helps us face today’s realities and prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities. Accomplishing this will be nearly impossible without a healthy concept of- and respect for- boundaries. Dr. Henry Cloud, noted counselor, author and speaker, offers this insight into the power of setting appropriate boundaries: “Our sense of being able to own our own behavior is critical for having a sense of power and a sense of control over our lives.”
Why are boundaries important to good business? When boundaries are not set and people are allowed to behave in whatever fashion suits them, they choose one of three sides (think of it as the Business Bermuda Triangle). Either they are willing to perform in a matter that makes a positive contribution to the success of the organization; or they are unwilling to perform in such a manner; or they are on the fence, waiting to see what happens before joining one side or the other. Typically, the unwilling group generally outnumbers the group that is willing.
People tend to gravitate toward not being responsible, mistaking this for freedom to do as they please. They forget that the focus is on the success of the organization, not individuals. When appropriate boundaries are in place, along with appropriate consequences for breaching the boundaries, the group that is willing tends to outnumber the group that is not. And those in the middle move toward those who are willing.
Next time, we will discuss how to set appropriate boundaries in business as we work toward redefining YES. Between now and then, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:37, “Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.’” 
About the Author
Jay M. Winchester is the owner and operator of The Winchester Group, a Christian media company specializing in delivering professional writing, editing and content creation services to companies of all sizes, including members of the Fortune 500. Since 1994, his byline has appeared over 450 times in a variety of publications, many with national distributions. Jay has written long-form direct response television and other commercial spots for Tony Little, Reliant Interactive Media and others. He is the former Managing Editor of two bi-monthly journals for writers, American Writers Review and Writing for Money. He is also the Managing Editor, Producer and voice for the Bay Area Business Minute, broadcast each workday on NewsTalk 820 AM, WWBA. He is a regular contributor to Bay Area Business Magazine.
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