5 Noes – The EO Weblog

For the previous eight years, I’ve been privileged to be a part of an EO program referred to as the Entrepreneurial Masters Program, or EMP. Yearly, I’ve joined 70 extraordinary classmates from over 25 completely different nations for an immersive four-day studying expertise. Basically, we revert to being college students once more, spending 10-hour days absorbing insights from knowledgeable practitioners and professors on how we will improve each our private lives and our companies.

Every year, I go away with pages of notes, concepts and takeaways. However amongst these notes, I attempt to give attention to two or three concepts that I can put into apply rapidly.

After I left the newest EMP installment, considered one of my most impactful takeaways got here from considered one of our concluding audio system, a globally famend mentalist named Wayne Hoffman. Considered one of Hoffman’s factors of emphasis was the significance of understanding that getting extra “yeses” in life additionally includes getting extra “noes.”

To show his principle, Hoffman invited a volunteer from the viewers to affix him on the entrance of the room. He introduced them with a two-sided sure/no coin he’d bought from Amazon. He then provided the volunteer a deal: They’d thirty seconds to make as many flips as they may and would win $20 each time the coin flipped to “sure.” There could be no damaging penalties for flipping a “no.”

The volunteer took the deal, and as quickly as Hoffman mentioned “go,” began flipping the coin with fervor. Finally, the volunteer churned out seven sure responses and an roughly equal variety of no responses. Hoffman promptly handed over $140 in money to the participant. I used to be wishing I had raised my hand first.

As soon as the train was full, Hoffman imparted the lesson: “yeses” matter greater than “noes,” and taking extra possibilities generates extra of every. Whereas there’s a close to equal probability of getting informed “no” in our endeavors, in just about all circumstances, there isn’t any penalty for that rejection past some transient discomfort or embarrassment. However, once you get a “sure,” there may be seemingly a optimistic consequence on many fronts.

This was why Hoffman made it clear there was no monetary loss or penalty for flipping a “no.” In a real-world instance, with the identical yes/no construct, however with out the identical stage of readability, the person would seemingly have overthought the state of affairs and will not have taken motion. That is counterproductive; when you take extra possibilities, the ratio of “yeses” to “noes” doesn’t change. Whilst you’ll get a variety of “noes,” you’re going to get extra “yeses.”

In case you see an individual who seems to have acquired a variety of “yeses,” you could be positive they’ve additionally acquired plenty of “noes” as nicely. A important factor in getting extra of what we search is enduring loads of rejections alongside the way in which.

Hoffman additionally advised that we frequently have a better chance of getting a “sure” than we anticipate in even probably the most outlandish circumstances. Throughout his session, for instance this level, Hoffman requested me for the identify of an area restaurant after which referred to as on speakerphone to see if they’d give me a free meal for mentioning the restaurant by identify to a room stuffed with firm leaders. The individual answering the cellphone didn’t reject Hoffman instantly and took a message and provided to test with the supervisor.

Hoffman closed with one final problem: He urged every member of the viewers to attempt to get 5 “noes” over the following week. He additionally shared that, from his expertise, it could be more durable than we imagined. Generally a request is so loopy that persons are too intrigued or thrown off to say “no.”

Within the following days, our EMP WhatsApp group was flooded with tales and photos of those varied tried “noes.” Some had been hilariously outlandish, but the precept appeared to carry true. The extra the group members requested, the extra “yeses” they collected, even when they had been accompanied by some “noes.”

Whereas I knew this lesson instinctively, it was an enormous reminder for me that one of many largest keys to getting extra “yeses” in life is turning into desensitized to “noes.”

In life and enterprise, we will all have extra success if we decide to taking extra initiative, being much less indecisive, and being prepared to endure some emotional discomfort. This looks as if a small value to pay for getting extra of what you need.

This week, I problem you to get to 5 “noes” your self, and possibly problem the group you result in do the identical.

This submit initially appeared on Robert Glazer’s Friday Forward e-newsletter and is reprinted right here with permission.

Contributed by Robert Glazer, a former EO Boston member who’s the founder and chairman of the board of Acceleration Partners, a worldwide accomplice advertising company and the recipient of quite a few trade and firm tradition awards. He’s the creator of the inspirational e-newsletter Friday Forward and No. 1 Wall Avenue Journal bestselling creator of 5 books: Elevate, Friday Forward, How To Thrive In The Virtual Workplace, Moving To Outcomes and Performance Partnerships. He’s additionally the host of The Elevate Podcast.

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