Even if you’re overworked at work, your manager and coworkers continue to give you more work. What do you do? How can you simply say “no” without being fired or branded as a bad team player?
The majority of people find it challenging to say “no” since they feel bad for not contributing and being uncooperative. However, being overburdened and saying “yes” to everything is unhealthy and will not result in high-quality work. It is found that leadership training and executive leadership coaching will help you in saying no in a constructive way.
So, let’s learn how to say “NO” in a good manner:
Examine the request:
Assess the request first, then proceed. ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION about the offer before deciding that you must say “no”. It is better to enquire about the timeframes, the significance of the chance, and the specifics of your employment. You can then evaluate if you are up for taking on this assignment based on this additional context.
Instead of merely saying “no” right away, you might show the person seeking your aid that you want to assist them by evaluating the situation. This is also crucial to do since you might find that it benefits you, in which case you’ll create room for it while putting something else on hold.
Establish your priorities:
Your ability to take on additional duties will be determined by how well you manage your priorities. Say “no” if you can tell that you already have too many obligations and that accepting anything else will make you feel overwhelmed.
It is crucial to convey your priorities to your coworkers and management so they understand why you are declining their requests. Your coworkers and manager will want you to have a clear understanding of the tasks that will yield the highest return on investment. Additionally, doing this will prevent your supervisor and coworkers from assuming you are unhelpful or lethargic.
Be truthful and true to yourself:
It is claimed by experts that offering vague justifications for being unable to assist your coworkers can come across as phony and unpersuasive. So, if someone asks you for help and you already have a lot on your plate, be honest with them and explain why you can’t help.
Bring up a substitute or fix:
Saying “no” doesn’t always entail rejecting the entire endeavor. Saying “no” to doing something today, this week, or even the complete thing but being willing to do a portion of it are all options. Consequently, suggesting options might benefit both you and the person seeking assistance.
According to Prossack, flexibility is essential. Instead of completely ignoring the person, suggest that you assist them later when you have more time to devote to doing superior work.
Establish trust with your superiors and coworkers:
Your boss and coworkers will have more faith in your ability to support them in the future if you consistently say “yes” to their requests. Yes, this is a healthy perspective to adopt, but let us show you one that is much better.
Have your coworkers believe in your ability to generate high-quality work consistently rather than that you will always be there to assist them. Your supervisor and coworkers will value your job more if you adopt this attitude. If you take on too much, your job will probably be of worse quality, sloppier, and less productive. Because of this, there are occasions when it is wiser to say “no” and will ultimately be to everyone’s advantage.
A crucial skill to develop is the ability to say “no” when necessary. Despite our desire to assist, we must consider how our response will affect both the asker and ourselves. Never be scared to refuse a request, no matter how modest or large.
And it is also important to keep in mind that it shouldn’t be a habit of saying always NO; else it might take a toll on your professional growth. One must understand when exactly to say no.
BeLeader is one of the leadership training companies in Pune that offers comprehensive corporate leadership training and assists in becoming a good team player. Connect with us to book free 20 mins appointment.