Teams struggle to say no when they do not know what they are protecting. If priorities are vague, every request sounds reasonable.
If success criteria are unclear, every idea feels worth trying.Saying no is not about being negative. It is about protecting a sequence.T he fastest way to improve this is to make priorities visible and to tie requests to tradeoffs.
When a new request arrives, ask what it displaces.If you have too many priorities, read Too Many Priorities Is No Priorities. If everything feels urgent, read Why Everything Feels Urgent but Nothing Moves. If you want a system that makes priorities and tradeoffs explicit, read What a Brand Operating System Is.
