The Art of Communication

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The Power of a Positive No
How to Say No and Still Get to Yes
Written by William Ury

"No" is perhaps the most important and certainly the most powerful word
in the language. Every day we find ourselves in situations where we need
to say No–to people at work, at home, and in our communities–because
No is the word we must use to protect ourselves and to stand up for
everything and everyone that matters to us.

But as we all know, the wrong No can also destroy what we most value by
alienating and angering people. That’s why saying No the right way is
crucial. The secret to saying No without destroying relationships lies in the
art of the Positive No, a proven technique that anyone can learn.

This indispensable book gives you a simple three-step method for saying
a Positive No. It will show you how to assert and defend your key
interests; how to make your No firm and strong; how to resist the other
side’s aggression and manipulation; and how to do all this while still
getting to Yes. In the end, the Positive No will help you get not just to any
Yes but to the right Yes, the one that truly serves your interests.

Based on William Ury’s celebrated Harvard University course for
managers and professionals, The Power of a Positive No offers concrete
advice and practical examples for saying No in virtually any situation.
Whether you need to say No to your customer or your coworker, your
employee or your CEO, your child or your spouse, you will find in this
book the secret to saying No clearly, respectfully, and effectively.

In today’s world of high stress and limitless choices, the pressure to give
in and say Yes grows greater every day, producing overload and
overwork, expanding e-mail and eroding ethics. Never has No been more
needed. A Positive No has the power to profoundly transform our lives by
enabling us to say Yes to what counts–our own needs, values, and
priorities.

Understood this way, No is the new Yes. And the Positive No may be the
most valuable life skill you’ll ever learn!


http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780553903522