Yeah, no: Five benefits of being a Midwestern manager

Every region has its stereotypes, but here in Iowa, we lean into the Midwest image: polite, pragmatic, team-oriented (think barn raising), and stubborn as dirt—all qualities that can serve you well as a manager. Let’s take a look at five benefits of Midwest culture you can incorporate into your management style.

Midwest ‘Yeah, no’

“Yeah, no” is an all-purpose phrase that means “Yes, I hear you, but no, I don’t agree.” It acknowledges what the speaker was saying, which can be critical when dealing with employees. Inevitably, employees won’t necessarily agree with some management decisions, and letting them know they’ve been heard—even if you don’t share the same viewpoint—is a critical communication step.

Different perspectives can mean ongoing disagreement. It’s not productive to leave issues open to constant debate. This can be a difficult task for managers when employees refuse to move on, and repeating “I appreciate your perspective, but we aren’t revisiting that” can get trying. But, yeah, no.

‘No, yeah’