The Ability to Say “NO”

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Are you so committed to your direction that you’re saying “no” to the things that will take you even slightly off course?  One of the most important aspects of your ministry’s trajectory is its determination to say no to the things that will take it in an even slightly different direction.

It’s hard to recognize those moments when they’re in progress.  And it’s even harder to put your finger on the moment years later.  But all around us are organizations that began well, were really focused on their mission, had the finish line clearly in the crosshairs…and then for an instant loosened their grips on the steering wheel, only to find out later that their momentary lapse turned into a mistep that led to a series of compromises and suddenly a completely different trajectory.

It’s the awareness of compromise that must be cultivated.  Don’t you love this BMW ad?

Nobmwsmall_1  “The ability to say no to compromise is a rare thing these days. Many companies would like to be able to say it, but so few have the autonomy to actually do it.  As an independent company, BMW can say no. No, we will not compromise our ideas. No, we will not do it the way everyone else does it.”

You’ve got to love it!  Thanks to Signals vs. Noise for the link to the ad!

For more on trajectory, check out Learning from Non-Customers

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