Leaderly Quote: Getting to yes
By Jo Miller
A large part of a leader’s job is getting people to say “yes.”
In a leadership webinar for the Network of Executive Women, I asked Karen Stuckey, a Senior Vice President of General Merchandise with Walmart, what she has learned about getting to yes. Here are some insights she’s gained during her 36-year career in the retailing and manufacturing industries.
Getting to yes
• Active listening skills are the key to getting to “yes.”
• Pay close attention to your audience. If you find yourself speaking at (versus talking to) your audience, you’re going to be unsuccessful.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the other party’s priorities and motivations.
• Start with a common, aligned objective, and work back, with modifications, to get to “yes.”
• Get to the point quickly. It must be simple and clear, while persuasive.
• Simply repeating why you’re right will never get you to “yes.”
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.

By Jo Miller
A large part of a leader’s job is getting people to say “yes.”
In a leadership webinar for the Network of Executive Women, I asked Karen Stuckey, a Senior Vice President of General Merchandise with Walmart, what she has learned about getting to yes. Here are some insights she’s gained during her 36-year career in the retailing and manufacturing industries.
Getting to yes
• Active listening skills are the key to getting to “yes.”
• Pay close attention to your audience. If you find yourself speaking at (versus talking to) your audience, you’re going to be unsuccessful.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the other party’s priorities and motivations.
• Start with a common, aligned objective, and work back, with modifications, to get to “yes.”
• Get to the point quickly. It must be simple and clear, while persuasive.
• Simply repeating why you’re right will never get you to “yes.”

Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.