Summary of The Power of a Positive No Book by William Ury
4.7 . 637 reviews
Short summary
There has never been a time when knowing how to say No has been as necessary and valuable as it is today. The Power of a Positive No will become your indispensable guide towards protecting your interests while maintaining healthy relationships with people around you.
Author William Ury bases his advice on his many invaluable experiences. Over the past 30 years, Ury has been working as a negotiator and mediator all around the globe. Insights he inferred from work and his teaching experience at Harvard University make him more than qualified to help you deliver a perfect No.
This summary will teach you more about the challenges and intricacies of using a firm No and overcoming the need to accommodate or attack in conflicting situations.
“A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
For many people, saying No is one of the toughest things to do; it’s often uncomfortable, scary, and might be dangerous for your relationships with others. But at the same time, it is vital for your well-being. When you say No to others, you say Yes to yourself, your interests, values, and needs, and that is why saying No is one of the essential skills to obtain to live happily and remain successful.
For a long time, William Ury considered our collective inability to reach a Yes as the main reason behind the damaging conflicts that keep shaking up our lives. However, he has realized that agreements are often temporary and lead to even more disputes; many underlying issues and problems remain unresolved when two sides say Yes to each other.
An insincere Yes is much more damaging than any No.
William Ury is now confident that there must be a basic No before there can be any room for a Yes. To stand up for what matters and tend to your needs or those of others, you must first say No to a request or demand that may be unwelcome, abusive, or inappropriate.
Saying No, though, isn’t as straightforward as we’d like it to be. It is one of the most powerful words in any language, and we must use it effectively and gracefully. Think of it as your “+4” Uno card — it can save you when you are in a tough predicament, but overuse it, and no one will want to play with you anymore.
The tricky thing with saying No is that you must keep a certain balance between exercising your will and power and tending to your relationship.
In the following chapters, you will learn, step by step, how to deliver the perfect Positive No that will help you protect your interests and strengthen your relationships. There are two main stages for this: preparation and delivery, and when combined, they fall into place like puzzles of one firm No.
second key point
A good No starts and ends with a Yes
If your boss asks you to take on extra work or your kid is begging you for a new toy, and you know in your heart that the only correct answer is No, but you just can’t bring yourself to say it, what do you do? There are three typical responses in situations like these, the so-called Three-A Trap: accommodating, attacking, and avoiding.
In this insightful book, the author explores the art of saying "no" in a positive and effective way. Drawing from his extensive experience as a negotiation expert, William Ury provides practical strategies and techniques to help readers navigate difficult conversations, preserve relationships, and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. With a focus on maintaining respect and understanding, this book empowers individuals to assert their boundaries while fostering collaboration and finding win-win solutions.
Who should read The Power of a Positive No
Business professionals seeking to negotiate effectively while maintaining relationships.
Individuals looking to assert themselves and set healthy boundaries.
Anyone interested in improving their communication and conflict resolution skills.
Let’s check how many titles you can finish in a month with Headway! Tell us how much time you’d like to spend on reading:
2 min/day
5 min/day
10 min/day
15 min/day
20 min/day
30 min/day
45 min/day
4 titles/month
10 titles/month
20 titles/month
30 titles/month
40 titles/month
60 titles/month
90 titles/month
4 titles/month
10 titles/month
20 titles/month
30 titles/month
40 titles/month
60 titles/month
90 titles/month
Join 30+ million learners around the world
60K5 reviews on App Store and Google Play
Everything you need to be motivate, to learn & to self improves is all here. I actually do appreciate the reminders because otherwise this wouldn’t work for me. Thank you
sandypantalones
Headway is the answer! No longer accumulating books I never read. With Headway, I initially chose the areas important to me such as productivity, time management, etc., and each day I'm provided several book summaries from which I devote 20 minutes or more each day reading. All of this on my phone! My life has improved with Headway. Truly my most useful app.
Carol Slinker
An excellent concept, executed well. Headway can help you retain what you've read while introducing you to the essential core of new information. It's an easier way to stay inspired, and to be reminded of the mental tools you've learned
Fuse Henry
In today’s world, we rarely have time. Between our jobs, our families are social obligations, when do we have time to grow and develop ourselves? Headway is an excellent app that gives you that time it gives you those little snippets of information that you need to direct your focus in on your life. Headway gives you a chance to find out the meat of a book that you might want to purchase and read or listen to in-depth without wasting a lot of time trying to figure out is this book for me? I highly recommend the app.
sleepy sprite
The selections are on point and the summaries are excellent! I listen while I walk my pup 🐶 and have in turn, ordered a few selections! REALLY loving the app, it’s layout, daily selections and features!
JuicyBaby328
I've gotten multiple books out of the library with the intent to read them, but always have a hard time finding the time. This app has helped me finally be able to get to them. Summarized, yes, and thank goodness too! Just short enough I can finish one on my way picking kids up from school/practice, or while I'm cooking dinner. I can't wait to listen to them over the summer when we visit the beach!
Jillian Emmert
It amazed me! There is the possibility to highlight the most important points of each book and instantly translate unfamiliar vocabulary. With the ability to review the searched words. It's a great way to learn more about English as well. The price is great.
Fiamma
I’m enjoying what I’m learning on headway.each summary comes with quotes at the end which you can save to help you remember key points. You can listen or read, I’ve found that reading puts me to sleep before I can finish but the listening feature keeps me engaged and I can finish in a brief amount of time if not one session.
Epic waters
The app it’s so easy to use. I use it while driving or cooking and is great. I love the fact that the chapters are short, so you can finish them quickly. Very knowledgeable.
kathytaveras
The best app for self development.It helps to keep pace with your reading and also suggests the kind of reading material you might like.It is fun as you can switch from reading to listening and vice-versa as per your convenience .Just get started and partake of the treasure of knowledge at your fingertips .I feel lucky to have spotted the app.It has helped me become self-disciplined and much better informed.The audio track is excellent.
anita yadav
Exactly what I need! I always have booklist to read, but can't committed enough to finish/start bc of too much pages. Headway is really helpful and concise with their summary. What I love the most is that the essence of the book is well crafted, so I don't only read the key points, but also there's the story and how personality of the author still well shown through the summary. Well done!
Feninda Amalia
This is outstanding best app ever and honestly whoever came up with is my app is an absolute genius kudos my gratitude definitely goes out and I’m only on my first week free trial and I’m certainly going to purchase this app annually. Now that I have it, I can’t even imagine living without it.
Darlin NIKKIDOLL0923
Have questions?
Asking the right questions brings you closer to achieving your goals
Can I test out Headway before purchasing it for my team?Payment
Sure, we will gladly give you access to our app for a certain period if you are interested in purchasing a corporate subscription for your team. Please fill out the form on the website or email partners@makeheadway.com. We will get back to you soon.
What should I do if some of my employees already have your Premium subscription?Payment
Sure, we will gladly give you access to our app for a certain period if you are interested in purchasing a corporate subscription for your team. Please fill out the form on the website or email partners@makeheadway.com. We will get back to you soon.
Can I increase or decrease the number of subscriptions on my corporate subscription once it’s started?Payment
Sure, we will gladly give you access to our app for a certain period if you are interested in purchasing a corporate subscription for your team. Please fill out the form on the website or email partners@makeheadway.com. We will get back to you soon.
What are the benefits of books summary?
Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.
Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.
Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.
Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.