Product Description
No is perhaps the most important and certainly the most powerful word in the language. Every day we find ourselves in situations where we need to say No–to people at work, at home, and in our communities–because No is the word we must use to protect ourselves and to stand up for everything and everyone that matters to us.
But as we all know, the wrong No can also destroy what we most value by alienating and angering people. That’s why saying No the right way is crucial. The secret to saying No without destroying relationships lies in the art of the Positive No, a proven technique that anyone can learn.
This indispensable book gives you a simple three-step method for saying a Positive No. It will show you how to assert and defend your key interests; how to make your No firm and strong; how to resist the other side’s aggression and manipulation; and how to do all this while still getting to Yes. In the end, the Positive No will help you get not just to any Yes but to the right Yes, the one that truly serves your interests.
Based on William Ury’s celebrated Harvard University course for managers and professionals, The Power of a Positive No offers concrete advice and practical examples for saying No in virtually any situation. Whether you need to say No to your customer or your coworker, your employee or your CEO, your child or your spouse, you will find in this book the secret to saying No clearly, respectfully, and effectively.
In today’s world of high stress and limitless choices, the pressure to give in and say Yes grows greater every day, producing overload and overwork, expanding e-mail and eroding ethics. Never has No been more needed. A Positive No has the power to profoundly transform our lives by enabling us to say Yes to what counts–our own needs, values, and priorities.
Understood this way, No is the new Yes. And the Positive No may be the most valuable life skill you’ll ever learn!
From the Hardcover edition.
|
|
 a little boring ( fccluiz )
Good book. I bought to listen during my ride to work. The narrator is a little boring. But the content is great.
|
 A Day Late and a Dollar Short ( rperrin3 )
This book is the outcome of what happened when master negotiator Jim Camp (author of "Start with No!") was invited to a symposium on negotiating at Harvard, and proceeded to blow William Ury & company out of the water. Camp is the real deal and has the data to back it up. The Harvard guys hated Camp and had to regroup to save their academic behinds. If you want the real deal, read "Start with No!", and find out how 'Getting to Yes' and other boooks of that ilk simply reduce you to cannon fodder in the face of an experienced and ruthless negotiator.
|
Power of a Positive No...a fourmula for success with the word "no"
The Power of a Positive No provides an intriguing view into the delicate, complex, and yet important process of saying no. Whether it be saying no to a professional request from a superior at work or saying no personally to negative and destructive behaviors one may be engaging in, this book explains a pathway to thinking through the process of saying no without damaging or loosing the relationship. The book is packed with several practical examples both simple and complex. Ury's theories are battle tested, and his unique personal experiences as cofounder of Harvard's Program on Negotiations have enabled him to have wealth of exciting and world changing opportunities that have served as a testing ground for these ideas.
The book lays out three critical steps in the process of saying no. Preparing the "No" encourages the reader to dig into the core beliefs and values behind the No answer. This self-reflective section of the book draws parallels with many other leadership authors such as Sergiovanni and Covey. Delivering the "NO" helps the reader understand the importance of asserting the beliefs behind their core decision, and how to find compromise. Finally, Ury encourages the reader to be consistent and persistent through the "No" which increases the integrity of the decision and the decision-maker. While relatively simple in concept, The Power of a Positive No provides an authentic framework for effective decision making and negotiating. This influential book explains how balancing the power of the decision and preserving the relationship is possible and attainable in every situation we face.
|
Boring, tedious, laborious ( cynic054 )
Let me badcktrack a bit. "Getting to Yes" by Fisher and Ury was a good book that introduced a few important concepts, such as the principled negotiator, win-win and so on. But, I did not like reading it - dry and uninspiring.
The sequel, "Getting Past No" by Ury was a much better book (in my opinion) and I really enjoyed reading it - a few times! Great book - highly recommended! This just in case you think I have something against Bill Ury - no, on the contrary, I hold him in high respect.
So, I had high expectations of Ury's latest brainchild - this unfortunate treatise on the meaning and importance of NO. I was so dissapointed that I didn't even finish reading it (Does my review still count?;) The book is a drawn-out, laborius and it deals with only one aspect of negotiation. You will NOT learn how to negotiate from this book!
By the way, Fisher's latest book "Beyond Reason" was another dissapointment - after reading a first few pages (carefully, not to leave any greasy fingermarks) I sold it on ebay as new, where I had to lie that it was a great read (I will rot in Hell for sure for that!) "The Power of Positive No" remains to be sold, where I will have to lie again.
|
 Finally the wisdom every sales person needs!
Having been on the operations side of professional services firms for years, I have had my fair share of working with sales people who had a speech impediment - they could never say NO. Once I became a sales person myself, I understood the pressures of sales pros to meet quotas and ensure they can make the next lease payment on their BMW. But I also knew that companies wanted consultants and sales people to tell them no, and set boundaries for their engagements.
William Ury's book tells, quite simply, how to deliver a "positive no" and emerge with a much stronger relationship. If you are in sales, you have to read this book. If you are on the delivery or operations side, you must get this book for both your sales people and your consultants. It will transform your client relationships like you wouldn't believe!
|
|
View Larger
Add to Cart 
