Earn the Yes means working through the barriers that prevent people from committing wholeheartedly. Leaders clarify expectations, challenge limiting assumptions, and address hidden constraints. Instead of pushing harder, they remove friction.
When the “yes” is genuine, execution speeds up and resistance drops. Teams feel respected because their concerns aren’t ignored—they’re addressed. That shift turns change from something people tolerate into something they support.
People nod without agreeing. Change efforts stall. Rework grows as unspoken resistance surfaces later. Customers feel delays caused by half-hearted commitments and unclear expectations.
Teams move faster with fewer setbacks. Improvement hit rates rise, assumption-challenge behavior increases, and problem reframing happens earlier. Execution becomes smoother because the commitment is authentic, not forced.
A product team kept slipping deadlines because stakeholders never fully aligned. A new leader began “earning the yes”: naming hesitations, removing constraints, and confirming commitments. Alignment solidified, cycle time shortened, and the team shipped ahead of schedule.
Explore Decision Making 200: Test the Nod for validating alignment, Coaching 200: Walk the Timeline to clarify expectations, and Strategy 200: Look to Subtract to remove barriers.
