This week I attended DisruptHR Knoxville 2.0, and it was a blast!

If you've never been to a DisruptHR event, the format is wild in the best way: speakers get exactly five minutes and 20 slides that auto-advance. No hiding behind a podium. No rambling. Just sharp, punchy ideas delivered fast.

If there's a DisruptHR near you, go. You'll leave energized and maybe a little inspired to get on that stage yourself!

Let's be honest: In HR and TA, "no" is a loaded word.

Say it too often and you become the department that blocks things. Say it wrong and you're suddenly "not a team player." Say it to the wrong person and it ends up in your next performance review.

So many of us don't say it at all. We take on the extra project, have the hard conversation, and absorb the last-minute request. We say yes, quietly die a little inside, and then wonder why our actual priorities are on fire. 🔥

Here's the thing though: saying no isn't the problem. How we say it is.

There are times when no is absolutely the right answer — legal exposure, compliance violations, requests that would get the company sued — In those cases, no is your job.

But for everything else, a flat "no" creates friction, damages relationships, and makes you look like a roadblock.

So when it comes to most issues, don't say no. Say yes, with conditions.

The conditional yes is simple: instead of shutting a door, you open one (with terms). This way, you stay collaborative, credible, and protect your time. Here's what it looks like in practice:

Use this when your boss adds something to your plate when you’re already overloaded

Formula: Show your current workload → Say yes → Defer to them

"Here's what I'm currently working on: [X, Y, Z]. Happy to take this on — what would you like me to shift? And how would you rank these in priority order?"

Use this when someone drops an urgent request on you without context of your current workload

Formula: Acknowledge the request → Show your capacity → Put the decision back in their hands

"I want to give this the attention it deserves. Based on my workload I can commit to starting this by [date]. Here's what I'd need to deprioritize to take it on sooner, and here are the trade offs."

Use this when someone tries to hand off work that isn't yours to own

Formula: Stay collaborative → Set a boundary → Redirect

"I'd love to help, however this one probably lives with [person/team]. I don't want it to fall through the cracks on my end. Want me to help you figure out the right person to loop in?"

I’m excited to announce the Career Accelerator: a 6-week cohort built for mid-career HR & TA professionals ready to be seen as strategic and claim their seat at the table.

The program includes 6 live workshops and 3 private coaching sessions over 6 weeks. Participants also receive a comprehensive career assessment, a program workbook, and lifetime access to all course materials.

I only have 8/10 spots remaining. Your investment is $2,100 and payment plans are available!

P.S. 👉 reply to this email and I'll send you a $500 discount code — for you or a friend!

Great question. "Not quite ready" is one of the most frustrating pieces of feedback you can get because it tells you literally nothing.

Here's what I'd do: go back to whoever said it and ask one specific question — "What would ready look like to you?" Most leaders haven't actually defined it. Asking forces them to, and suddenly you have something to aim for.

From there, work backwards. Is it visibility? Scope of influence? How you show up in leadership conversations? Once you know the real gap, you can close it. Until then, you're guessing.

👉 Have a question you want answered? Submit it here and I’ll answer you in a future issue!

Keep showing up, keep cheering each other on, and be kind to yourself. I’m here if you need me.

~ Preston 🌿

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