To generalize what Colin wrote -- this is a method I learned doing business in Japan. You can never, ever say no to anything; the other person would lose too m

To generalize what Colin wrote -- this is a method I learned doing business in Japan. You can never, ever say no to anything; the other person would lose too much face. However, saying, "Yes, and..." and then pointing out possible issues that would arise (like Colin's 3rd paragraph) can often cause the decision maker to change the original request, or even decide it was a bad idea on their own. Of course, sometimes, you end up doing the work anyway, but the 'disclaimer' in your "Yes, and..." give you a position in which to work where your boss implicitly buys into those limitations -- this is also a better thing. "Yes, and... {limitations}" instead of a no is always a better answer to a superior. Most of mine have seen the light after discussions like this when something was a bad fit or bad idea. On the other hand, sometimes I ended up having to do the undesirable. Take pride in what you do, no matter how undesirable, and you will find yourself building excitement for your work. You may discover you learn some cool stuff along the way, too. Best of luck!