“No Glass Allowed!” read the bold lettered sign posted at the outdoor pool area during a recent hotel stay. Fortunately, I had grabbed a canned beverage from my room which meant I didn’t have to face the dilemma of whether to throw my drink out, chug it down before entering the gate or trudge back up to my room to find another container. Just as I pitied the next person to walk in with a glass bottle, something else caught my attention. It was a dispenser filled with 16 oz. plastic cups! The hotel had supplied their customers with an alternative to the prohibition. My impression quickly changed from critical to appreciative. It caused me to wonder how many times I’ve told my co-workers or family members “No, you can’t do that” (even for very good reasons) without then taking a moment to explore with them what they could do. With so many rules, policies and procedures in our culture, negativity comes all too easy. I believe many disputes could be avoided if we practiced following a “no you can’t…” with a “but, you can…”