No means no, sometimes.

More often it means: not yet, not now, I wasn’t listening, I don’t trust you enough, I need my partner’s approval, people are watching …

The opposite is also true: not yet, not now, I wasn’t listening, I don’t trust you enough, I need my partner’s approval, people are watching … sometimes they just mean no.

Come to the meeting willing to help but ready to walk away because there’s no space for candor in a conversation filled with expectations. You must uncover the challenge or get to the no. Anything else is a waste of time.

Happy 4th of July to my friends in the US.