Global Leadership Hub

Do you struggle with declining requests and find it hard to say NO? You are not alone. 

We may have become conditioned to comply with others' wishes for various reasons. However, it is impossible to be productive if we take on too many commitments. This only leads to spreading ourselves too thin and being unable to complete tasks on time or at all. In business, requests for our time are incessant, whether through phone calls, emails, or in-person meetings. To stay productive and minimise stress, we must recognise the power of saying NO and learn how to do it effectively.

The solution to effective self-management is simple. We must learn to prioritise and say NO to the things less important than others. We all have 24 hours a day, so if we say YES to something, what do we have to say NO to?

Sometimes, it literally feels like slipping into the role of ‘Yes Man’ as played by Jim Carrey; we might carr(e)y the belief that saying NO is rude and impolite, and maybe simply want to be liked and appreciated by others. However, even though we constantly say yes, we can’t quite accomplish that; because taking on additional work from lazy people unloading their unwanted tasks leads to frustration and disappointment. We try to earn other people’s trust in a highly unresourceful way because by agreeing to everything, our integrity and respect from others are going down the drain. We might struggle to say YES to ourselves and subsequently can’t say NO to others.

Most people are unwilling to make a conscious decision to give up the things in their life necessary to achieve their goals. What they don’t realise is that we make implicit assumptions about what we are giving up: When we choose to do something, we give up something else!

But why is it so challenging to say NO? Firstly, as mentioned, we all fear rejection as it could hurt, anger, or disappoint the other person. Secondly, particularly in business, maintaining good rapport with someone may be important, and saying NO in the wrong way could jeopardise this working relationship.

So, here are 7 effective strategies to say NO with style and conviction:

1  Value your time

Know your commitments and how valuable your precious time is.

2  Know your priorities

Even if you do have a little time at hand, is this new commitment really how you want to use that time?

3  Practice makes progress

Saying NO often is a good way at getting better at it. If somebody is persisting, keep saying NO. They will eventually get the message.