Yes Lives in the Land of No A Tale of Triumph over Negativity

by Gallagher, Bj; Ventura, Steve

• ISBN13: 9781576753392
• ISBN10: 1576753395
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-06-01
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Summary

In this wise little parable, readers follow a narrator who ventures into the Land of No in search of Yes. He learns by watching others as they search, flounder, and eventually become disillusioned by seemingly inevitable rejection. Though each of the characters is passionate about their cause, they all fail because they do not effectively deal with the obstacles they face. By watching their mistakes, the narrator learns how to persevere despite the Nos, and ultimately succeeds in finding the elusive Yes. Through his journey, readers discover how they, too, can persist in the face of frequent Nos - both Nos uttered by those around them and, even more significantly, the Nos sounded by their own inner voice. The parable comes complete with quizzes, tips, checklists, and how-to strategies that enable readers to achieve goals and deal with rejection, roadblocks, and negativity.

Author Biography

BJ Gallagher’s favorite word is YES. Childhood photos show her with a big smile and happy eyes, her face lit up in eager expectation. The whole world looked like Disneyland to her — full of adventures, surprises, and amazing experiences. That positive spirit persists in adulthood . . . her work as an author, speaker, and consultant provides her with endless opportunities to say YES to others.
According to his mother, Steve Ventura is recognized and respected for writing stuff (author), drawing stuff (graphic “artiste”), talking about stuff (educator), and bookmaking (the legal kind: publishing). With 25 years of human resource development experience — as both a consultant and someone with a real job — 10 years in law enforcement, 27 years as a parent, and 30 years as a husband, this is an individual who knows NOs . . . and YESes too.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Part I The Parable	1	(96)
Part II From Parable to Practice	97	(48)
Is the Land of NO Familiar to You?	99	(2)
Where to Begin...	101	(2)
Do You Work in the Land of NO?	103	(3)
The Language of NO	106	(2)
What Lies Behind the Language of NO?	108	(3)
Some of the Many Reasons Why People Say NO	111	(2)
Counter-Strategies for Turning NO into YES	113	(8)
How Do You Know When NO Is Final?	121	(2)
Is It Them...or Us?	123	(2)
Mistakes We Make When Searching for YES	125	(3)
What Do You Hear When Someone Says NO?	128	(3)
Learning from NO	131	(2)
A Case Study: Power of Positive Persistence	133	(4)
Creating a World of YES Wherever You Are	137	(3)
If You're a Manager or the Leader of a Group...	140	(3)
How Do You Find Your Way Through the Land of NO?	143	(2)
Acknowledgments	145	(2)
About the Authors and the Illustrator...	147	(8)
Information about Seminars, Keynotes, and Consulting	155