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One of the things I've been learning how to better handle working in gov is reacting to "No." Or rather not reacting to it. Instead I use it as an opportunity to dig deeper into why it's a "no" and what it would take to make it a "maybe" sometime in the future (most likely not right away). (1/2)
In government there are different levels of "No".
No—it's the law.
No—it's in regulation.
No—it's in our rules and guidance.
No—it's how we've always done it.
No—it's too risky/I don't understand enough about it.
Understanding what level of "no" you're at helps you figure out who you need to work with, how long it will take, and what size effort you need to make it happen. It also helps you keep an eye out for opportunities for change. (2/2)
That’s a good way to put it!
I would add (from experience) : No— because we just don’t want to (it would disturb our routine, add some uncertainty, require some effort and learning…).
@Clearerworld
Yea there's definitely more. I was trying to focus on the ones where it's not just people being selfishly motivated. 
That's much harder to change or manage because you have to do something about the person, not the system around the person that creates a mindset.
Others that come to mind:
No—it makes me look bad/doesn't help my career
No—I don't want more responsibilities/to be held accountable for that.
No—I don't have enough people or money.
@amelialiarakos
All good examples!
Reminds me of a post I wrote a while back, about why people don’t do X.
https://medium.com/@dojoseph_2182/obstacles-to-action-why-people-dont-do-x-2819bccb5ff3
In short, to act, people typically need to
- know what they’re expected to do
- be willing to do it (they want to)
- be able to do it (they can do it)
- be pushed to act (by carrot or sticks, peer pressure, friends’ support, etc.)
Looks to me like you’re looking into the 3rd point on that list, i.e. reasons why people CAN’T do a certain thing.
@amelialiarakos Related: I've always told people that if you ask your agency counsel why you can't do something, they'll tell you why you can't. But if you ask them *how* to do that thing, they'll help you figure it out.
@amelialiarakos absolutely this! Also, knowing the details of laws/policies/regs can be a superpower to getting things done - few agency staff have actually read the source documents. (Which is why I spend so much personal time on documenting them.)
@krusynth most people don’t even read the need-to-know emails that come from the department. It’s a superpower and curse (because people constantly ping you with questions) to be the nerd who reads and seeks out information. Also illuminating to see how documents can be twisted far beyond their original meaning. The definition of “cloud smart” in my organization is dramatically different from what was written (mostly by you, I understand) on the fed CIO council.
@amelialiarakos this is pure gold!!! 
@amelialiarakos Yes, and I'll add that even "no - it's the law" and "no, it's in regulation" have gradations - sometimes the law is controversial or associated with an unpopular past politician and can be changed relatively easily, and some regulations are easy to get waivers from if only you ask.
@amelialiarakos My personal favorite is this exchange:
A: No—it's the law.
B: Oh, show me where the law says that?
A: Here, no wait, the law doesn't actually say that, it's just our oral history / game of telephone about what we thought the law says.
@abrody I wish I had remembered that one in my original post.
No—this is my perception of the law/regulation/rule (but it's wrong in some way)
I've heard that one a bunch from others, especially regarding the Paperwork Reduction Act.
My home health patient's mom lives by "If you can't tell me why it's a no, it's not a no yet."
@amelialiarakos
I think you left off the most important one:
No—it's not for people like you.