When Was the Last Time You Said No To More?

Every start of a new year is a perfect moment to refresh your goals and clarify the initiatives you will spend energy on. But too often, we use it as another moment to pile up more on our list of things to achieve. Don’t forget to say no; the most important idea in the strategy book is the ability to say “no” to lesser-value stuff. And the book is the famous “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy” by Richard Rumelt.

In marketing, saying yes to launching another product variant, one which doesn’t bring significant incremental penetration, is often just stealing your team’s attention away from their real work of building THE brand. Just say no to more!

In marketing research, saying no to that newly found seller who promises to make your brand competitive using an AI-infused data-first consumer-centric machine learning blockchain solution is best. What do you earn from dragging on a conversation you know is going nowhere? Focusing on understanding your consumers’ changing behaviors beyond buzzwords can generate that more significant insight. Just say no!

Lastly, in managing your job commitments, saying no to the recurring meeting you keep finding excuses not to join every week will give you 60 minutes to focus on the work that matters. Just say no!

I challenge you to say no this week, at least three times. If you say no to me to focus on something better, I am happy for you.