A fighter pilot friend of mine once sent me an email with a strange acronym at the heading: FYSA.
It read: “FYSA—this video will expire soon.”
I asked what FYSA meant.
“For Your Situational Awareness,” he said. “It’s not pressure. It’s a heads up. Something’s coming, and I want you to be ready for it.”
That moment reframed the way I think about deadlines—not as pressure tactics, but as tools for clarity.
More importantly tools to avoid a loss.
Brain science shows that humans are up to 5X more likely to act to avoid a loss than to gain a reward.
That’s why loss framing is so powerful.
The three most effective loss frames are:
- A deadline
- A limited number
- A penalty or consequence
We don’t use these to manipulate people. We use them to help others prioritize what matters. Harvard studies show that organizations with strong cultures built around the use of deadlines are dramatically more effective at execution.
So, think about the message behind your message.
- What’s at risk if your client doesn’t act?
- What might your teammate miss out on if they delay?
Don’t scare. Don’t coerce.
Do offer clarity. Do give a heads up.
That’s ethical influence. That’s the YESENTIALS® in action.
