Critical Thinking in Rejection Scenarios

Personal Story: Turning a Setback into a Future Opportunity Rejection can be a powerful motivator if approached with the right mindset. Rather than seeing a setback as the end of the road, it can be viewed as a valuable learning experience and an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and adaptability. My personal story illustrates how a proactive approach to feedback can turn a rejection into a new opportunity. My Last Mission: I once applied for a role in Afghanistan and, admittedly, didn’t prepare as thoroughly as I should have for the interview. When I received the rejection, it was clear that my lack of preparation was the reason. However, instead of letting the rejection discourage me, I sought feedback, approaching the feedback session as an opportunity to show my value and determination for future opportunities, if not for this role. During the conversation, I accepted their points and provided additional context where appropriate, essentially treating the feedback session as a second interview. Afterwards, I followed up with a thoughtful email, thanking them for the opportunity and wishing the successful applicants good luck in their new roles. A few weeks later, I received an unexpected call. One of the selected candidates had withdrawn, and because of my positive and proactive approach, I was offered the position. The rest, as they say, is history! “Rejection is not the end; it's an invitation to refine your approach, learn from the experience, and return stronger. Sometimes, the path to success is found in how you handle setbacks." This experience underscores the importance of resilience and the willingness to turn feedback into a learning opportunity. ·     When faced with rejection, take the initiative to seek constructive feedback. ·     Demonstrate full respect for their time and the feedback they’re offering. ·     Use it to refine your approach and demonstrate your ability to adapt and grow. ·     Follow up with a positive and thoughtful response, showing that you value the process and are still committed to contributing to the organisation. This proactive mindset leaves a lasting impression and can open doors that might have seemed closed.

On navigating disappointment in academic life. Academic life is filled with highs and lows. Unfortunately, there are often more lows than highs, and the lows can be really low—such as being denied tenure, failing to secure grants (meaning you can't fund your staff), or being rejected for a multi-year project at a journal. To successfully ride the roller-coaster of academic life, it is important to think through coping strategies well before a trough. What skills are helpful to acquire? (1) Learn to Acknowledge Your Feelings: Allow yourself to experience disappointment and frustration without judgment; your emotions are valid. Example: After a paper rejection, permit yourself an afternoon or evening to feel upset without immediately trying to "fix" the problem. (2) Practice Pausing and Stepping Back: Take time away from the immediate situation to process emotions clearly and objectively. Example: After receiving disappointing grant results, take a weekend away from work to clear your mind. (3) Learn to Think Constructively: Identify factors within your control (e.g., clarity, alignment with priorities) and distinguish these from external factors beyond your control. Example: If a paper is rejected, review reviewer comments after a few days to objectively pinpoint areas for improvement or clarity. (4) Develop a Support Network: Reach out to trusted colleagues, mentors, or friends for perspective, encouragement, and practical advice. Example: Discuss your tenure denial or grant rejection with a mentor who has successfully navigated similar situations to gain insights and advice. (5) Learn to Depersonalize the Setback: Remember, rejection is common in academia and does not define your value or present or future. You are more than one paper or one event. Example: Remind yourself of highly respected colleagues who have faced similar setbacks yet continue to thrive professionally. (6) Maintain Balance: To protect your emotional and physical well-being, prioritize rest, self-care, and activities unrelated to your academic work. Do this whether you are winning or not. Example: After a disappointment, deliberately schedule time for hobbies, exercise, or relaxation to help regain equilibrium. (7) Build Resilience: Recognize that resilience, more than any single success or setback, determines long-term academic success. Your ability to pick yourself up after a disappointment will define what you become. Example: Reflect on past disappointments that you've successfully overcome and how these experiences contributed positively to your professional growth. If you acquire these skills, you'll strengthen your ability to overcome disappointment, but more than that, be ready for opportunities when they are presented in the future! Best of luck! #academicjourney

Sick of hearing “no” in negotiations? These five fixes will turn rejections into wins. Understand why your negotiations fail, and gain powerful strategies to flip rejections into confident agreements. After decades of coaching global leaders through tough negotiations, I’ve learned a crucial truth: Most rejections aren’t about your offer, they’re about your negotiation approach. Here are honest lessons from my own painful negotiation mistakes, paired with clear, actionable fixes: 🔴 Mistake #1: Selling instead of solving Early in my career, I passionately pitched a partnership that was quickly rejected, it served my interests, not theirs. High stakes and embarrassment followed. ✅ Action: Never pitch without first asking clearly: “What outcomes matter most to you?” 🔴 Mistake #2: Ego over empathy Confidently proposing strict terms to demonstrate professionalism backfired when the client felt disrespected. Immediate rejection taught me, empathy beats ego every time. ✅ Action: Clearly show respect and collaboration: “Your insights are vital; let’s build this together.” 🔴 Mistake #3: Ignoring their better alternatives A major deal slipped through my fingers because I overlooked my client’s superior alternative (BATNA). My silence made my proposal irrelevant and costly. ✅ Action: Address alternatives directly: “I recognize you have other strong options; here’s why my offer uniquely benefits you.” 🔴 Mistake #4: Threatening their reputation I once had a deal collapse because accepting it would’ve undermined my counterpart’s internal credibility. A painful oversight I won’t forget. ✅ Action: Actively protect their reputation: “How can we structure this deal to enhance your internal credibility?” 🔴 Mistake #5: Losing trust Repeated rejections from a key client taught me they had lost trust due to hidden risks. Transparency became my essential tool for successful negotiations. ✅ Action: Be radically transparent: “These are the risks; let’s address them openly and together.” Rejection isn’t failure, it’s your best negotiation guide when you decode it clearly. What’s your go-to strategy for overcoming negotiation rejection? If this helped you rethink how you handle rejection don’t keep it to yourself! Repost, comment, or tag someone who needs to read this today. ♻️ 

A 'No' Isn’t always a dead end; It may just be a nudge to 'know' more. A "No" can feel like a setback, but it's actually a catalyst that pushes you to know more: To know more about the prospect: Understand their needs, pain points, and what truly drives their decisions. To know more about your product: Dive deeper into its features, benefits, and areas where it may need refinement or repositioning. To know more about how your product will benefit the prospect: Get clear on the tangible value and outcomes your solution can deliver specifically for them. To know more about how your product is “different and valuable": Define what sets you apart and how you uniquely meet the prospect’s needs in ways your competitors can't. To know more about your competition: Study your rivals’ strengths and weaknesses to position your product more strategically. To know more about the existing ecosystem at your prospect’s organization: Understand the landscape, existing solutions, and internal dynamics that influence their decision-making process. To know more about your approach: Reflect on your sales strategy, pitch, and communication style—where can you adapt or improve to better connect with prospects? To know more about market trends: Stay informed on industry changes and emerging needs so you can anticipate objections and pivot your approach accordingly. A “No” is not just a rejection; it’s an invitation to deepen your understanding, refine your approach, and come back stronger. When faced with a “No,” are you seeing it as the end of the conversation, or as the start of a deeper exploration to turn it into a future “Yes”? #No #sales

I started reading "The Unsold Mindset" by Garrett Brown and Colin Coggins over the weekend, and one idea really struck a chord with me: maintaining "pathological optimism" and embracing rejection as a powerful teacher. This concept took me back to my time at the LSU Foundation, where we faced an interesting challenge. Consultants were advising us to double the number of fundraisers to hit our goals, but I noticed something curious in our data—our acceptance rate for fundraising asks was nearly 99%. It seemed like a success, but in reality, it signaled that our fundraisers were only making the ask when success was nearly guaranteed or not counting their losses. Across the board, the number of asks per fundraiser was below the industry average. Instead of adding more fundraisers, we set a counterintuitive goal: drive down the acceptance rate. By increasing the number of asks from 9 to 12, we believed we could hit our fundraising targets with fewer fundraisers. More importantly, we wanted our team to get outside their comfort zone, take risks, and embrace the possibility of rejection as an opportunity to learn. And it paid off. I remember one fundraiser that embodied this "pathological optimism" perfectly. When she received a "no" from a potential donor, instead of being discouraged, she was actually excited. That "no" led to a deeper conversation where she learned the donor's real passion wasn't in the College of Business, where she was focused, but in a long-held dream of a career in music. Maintaining her optimism and viewing this rejection as an opportunity, she collaborated on a new proposal for the College of Music. Ultimately, that alum became a donor to the university, all because our fundraiser refused to see failure as an endpoint but rather as a stepping stone to success. This experience aligns with what The Unsold Mindset teaches: Rejection isn't something to avoid—it's a tool for growth and discovery. By embracing failure with unwavering optimism, we open ourselves up to new insights and greater success, whether in sales, fundraising, or any other pursuit. It's not just about learning from failure, but about maintaining an unshakeable belief that every "no" brings us closer to a transformative "yes." I'm not even halfway through the book and already have so many good notes - I will keep sharing them here and highly recommend giving the book a read yourself. #leadership #fundraising #sales #growthmindset #optimism

Your brain is sabotaging your job search... And you don't even know it. After 20+ years crushing it in your career, rejection hits different. Your brain — the same one that has solved million-dollar problems — starts playing tricks on you: "They haven't called back. I'm not good enough." "No one wants me anymore." "I'm such a failure." Sound familiar? Here's what's really happening: Your brain is using twisted thinking to protect you from pain. But that "protection" is keeping you stuck. Let me show you what I mean: 1. All-or-Nothing Thinking 🛑 "I didn't get that job, so I'll never find anything." ✅ "This was one opportunity. Every day, more appear." 2. Overgeneralization 🛑 "I always mess up interviews." ✅ "Sometimes I freeze up. That makes me human. I can learn from it." 3. Fortune-telling 🛑 "The interviewer was checking their watch - I won't get it." ✅ "I can't read minds. There's no point jumping to conclusions." 4. Discounting the Positive 🛑 "They only said nice things to be polite." ✅ "If they complimented my experience, I'll take them at their word." 5. Jumping to Conclusions 🛑 "Haven't heard back in three days - they're not interested." ✅ "Waiting sucks, but they might just be busy." 6. Catastrophizing 🛑 "I forgot to tell them about my biggest win. I can't do anything right." ✅ "We talked about my other accomplishments. They don't know what I didn't say." 7. Emotional Reasoning 🛑 "I am so worthless." ✅ "Man, this sucks. But work isn't the only thing that defines me." 8. Should Statements 🛑 "I should have heard back by now." ✅ "It would be nice if they wouldn't leave me hanging. I guess I'll send an email." 9. Labeling 🛑 "I'm a failure at job searching." ✅ "I'm not giving up, and that's an accomplishment!" 10. Personalization 🛑 "I'm not good enough." ✅ "I could focus more on impact when I tell my stories." TL;DR These thoughts that are designed to keep you safe actually keep you stuck. Why? Because our thoughts determine how we feel. Self-defeating thoughts undermine your confidence. When your confidence slips, it shows. You're less likely to reach out You show less enthusiasm. You're less likely to try. The good news? Once you spot your twisted thoughts, you can stop them. My clients use three simple techniques to flip the script: (Check the carousel for the full breakdown) ✅ Worst/Best/Most Likely Scenario ✅ Reality Check ✅ The "So What?" Technique Because here's what nobody tells you: Your experience didn't disappear. Your skills didn't vanish. Your value didn't drop. Your brain just convinced you it did. Time to take back control and get back in the race. Which twisted thought hits you hardest? Drop it below 🔽 Let's untangle it together.

As a founder, your calendar fills up with meetings. Your inbox fills up with “no’s.” The real growth happens in how you handle them. For me: ⏳No is often a not now. Timing is everything in business. Markets shift, priorities change, and today’s no could easily become tomorrow’s yes. 👩🏽💻No is rarely personal. It’s a reflection of someone else’s context, constraints, or strategy. You’re not being rejected as a person, your current offer is just not the right fit at that moment. 🔎No is an insight into how you handle business. Every rejection is a chance to show resilience, humility, and curiosity. Do you ask for feedback? Do you keep the door open? Do you stay top of mind in a genuine way? ⚖️No is a filter. It helps you focus on the partners, investors, and opportunities that truly align with your vision and values. ✅No is a setup for the best yes. Each rejection teaches you, pushes you to iterate, and prepares you for the opportunities that are actually meant for you. Rejections build character. They sharpen your pitch, strengthen your strategy, and reveal where your real allies are. The next time you get a no, remember: It’s not the end of the story. It’s just one chapter in a much bigger book. Onward.

Your analysis was rejected. You deleted the spreadsheet and PowerPoint. This mindset kills your influence. It trains you to stop taking risks and only deliver what is asked. But a "no" is not a verdict. It is the most valuable data you will receive all week. When you learn to decode rejection, you stop being a data provider and become a strategist who gets things done. A "no" is rarely about the quality of your analysis. It is a symptom of a deeper issue. To decode it, look for the four hidden forces: 1. The Authority Problem. You took "no" from someone who lacks the power to say "yes." 2. The Resource Problem. They love the idea but lack the budget, time, or team to execute it. 3. The Human Problem. Your data is logical, but their decision is emotional. Your idea threatens someone's territory or triggers a political fear. 4. The Incentives Problem. You are solving for the wrong KPI. Your brilliant plan does not align with their quarterly bonus. Strategic analysts don't just analyze the business data. They analyze the human response. Art+Science Analytics Institute | University of Notre Dame | University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | University of Chicago | D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University | ELVTR | Grow with Google - Data Analytics #Analytics #DataStorytelling

💔 Job rejection stings—especially when you thought you were the perfect fit. But what if I told you that rejection isn’t a stop sign? It’s a redirect. 🚦 Here’s what your rejections might actually mean (and how to turn them into stepping stones): ✅ You made it to the final rounds, but they chose someone else. 📌 What this really means: You were a strong contender! Instead of seeing it as a failure, follow up with the hiring manager, ask for feedback, and stay in touch—you might be their next hire. ✅ You keep getting ghosted after applying. 📌 What this really means: Your resume isn’t standing out, or your applications aren’t reaching the right people. Solution: Optimize your resume for keywords, but more importantly—start networking! A referral can get your resume seen. ✅ You’re told you’re “overqualified.” 📌 What this really means: The employer is worried about salary expectations or retention. Solution: Tailor your application to emphasize your interest in the role, not just your qualifications. ✅ You never make it past the first interview. 📌 What this really means: Either your answers aren’t aligning with what they need, or your interview presence needs refining. Solution: Prepare STAR method responses and practice speaking with confidence about your impact. 👉 Rejections aren’t personal—they’re information. Use them to refine your approach, and keep moving forward. Your next “yes” is coming! 💬 Have you ever turned a rejection into an opportunity? Drop your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it! 👇

Accept it or not, rejection is the default setting in PR. Client pitches or media pitches, there are more “no” than “yes". But every rejection carries a lesson—if you choose to learn from it. When a client rejects your idea, dissect the pitch. Where did it fall short? What can I improve? If the relationship is strong, ask them directly: What would have made this idea work? Even a single insight can elevate your craft. Rejections aren’t roadblocks. They’re stepping stones, if you treat them right.