Customer Reviews

No! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life

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As the President of BoldApproach.com, a business acceleration strategy and marketing firm, it seemed a little counter intuitive to read a book about saying no since my whole job is based around getting people to say yes. But I dove in and boy am I glad I did.

No is one of those books that you simply must read. It isn't a book about assertiveness or any of the other things you've read, but a powerful book about taking and maintaining control of your life personally and professionally.

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you say yes when you really want to say no?
Do you ever feel bad when you say no?
Do accept invitations to be on boards and committees even when you are already wildly over committed?
Do you wish there was a way to say no without hurting people's feelings?
Have you ever wondered how and when to fire a customer?

If you answered yes to even one of those questions, then there are literally dozen's of other situations that this book will help you overcome with efficiency.

I highly recommend this book.

This book benefits those who face exhaustion from overwork, stress and overuse of the word 'yes' - and that includes almost everyone. No matter what level of employment or management you are in, where you work or what your responsibilities are, most people have a natural propensity to say 'yes' far too often. Jana Kemp's book will help if you sometimes say 'yes' when you don't want to, or even when you are not fully capable of committing to and delivering on the promise you are making. She offers tools and advice for timely, sound decision-making. Even though the book's self-assessment mechanisms, introspective exercises and checklists can get a bit repetitive, reinforcement is the best way to change your automatic responses. The habit of overcommitting can harm your relationships and your physical and mental health, including your stress level. Kemp finds that people want to please others so much that they overcommit in every venue of their lives. We say 'Yes!' to this book for anyone who needs to learn how to become comfortable saying 'no' and how to do so in a direct, gracious manner that refuses the request without rejecting the person. (By the way, if you don't need to learn this skill, you can always just say 'No!')

It seems like a contradiction, 'tell your boss no and get ahead in life', but that's the advice Kemp offers. Kemp is really saying 'be honest' and 'look past your nose and see the implications of your choices'. The fastest and most elegant way to do so often involves being a master of `NO!'

The book is full of exercises, which inventory your moods and habits. There are three personality types: 'Masters of NO', 'Wafflers' (putting off a NO) and 'yes-ters' (at best an 'always helpful' type). By reading the book, you can be a Master of NO!

More could have been done to review the motivations of the always-helpful types. Additionally, several genetically based instincts encourage many to be 'helpful' as a matter of course. These 'helpful' instincts provide con-men with a good living. There isn't anything provided on these subjects.

Intrigued by the title of Kemp's book, I purchased a copy for myself and a few colleagues after a particularly hectic work week. To be honest, I was not sure if there would be any value in reading a book about how to say "no." To my surprise the book was as much about saying "yes" as saying "no." Its value is in helping you learn about yourself, your values, and situations such that you recognize when saying "yes" and when saying "no" makes sense for you.

The book includes situational stories and questions that help you contextualize the concepts presented. There are hundreds of examples of how to say "no" for those who sometimes are at a loss for how to do so. Each chapter has a theme and suggestions that build on each other through the book.

I think most who read this book will find the message and its delivery worth it. I certainly did. After reading this book you will have a better understanding of when, why, and how you will want to say "no."