How to Have the Courage to Say No in the Workplace (Guest Blog)

Always saying “Yes” on everyone’s call won’t help you do anything good to yourself. It is because, you were giving them priority over your own tasks which means you are losing something that you deserve just because you cannot say No or do not know have the courage to say “No”.

Not saying “No” just because you think it can hurt someone would not be a good call. You will have to prioritize things in your own life so that you can get to know when you can say “Yes” and when you cannot.  Also, it requires a lot of courage and practice to say “No” while you mean it.

If you really want to get rid of this “Yes-Man” habit, then you must read and follow the given tips. The following tips will help you understand when you should say “No” or not.

1. You Are Already Committed:

In case, you are already engaged in some task and want to get it done on time and someone asks you to do some of his work as well, what should you say or do? The simplest way to tackle the situation is to accompany your No with a solid reason, i.e., telling him that you are already committed to something and have to get it done before you can switch the tasks or help someone else for that matter. This may help him put himself in your shoes and understand why you cannot consider his request.

2. Already at Half-way To Complete:

It happens quite often that you get requests for help when you are in the halfway of getting your task completed such as in a meeting or discussion. What should you do? The simplest way to handle the situation is to tell him that you are in middle of something. Tell him your desire of helping him out by giving him another time which is convenient for you. In this way, the person whose request you have turned down temporarily would not have any harsh feeling against you.

3. Do Not Have Time:

It is seen that you are unable to complete a request that you also want to complete just because of lack of time. What should you say then? The best way to deal with this situation is to tell the person that you would love to do this but you do not have time for it right now because you have other commitments or priorities. In this way, the person who has requested for your help would not feel bad.

4. Do Not Want To Say Yes Straightaway:

Sometimes, you come across such requests that you do not want to turn down but, at the same time, you cannot say Yes straightaway. How should you respond? The effective way to respond such requests is to ask the person to give you some more time to think about it and tell him that you would get back to him as soon as you finally make up your mind and have a final decision. However, make sure to specify the time duration you need to think. Else, it would make the other person feel that you are blowing him off all the time.

5. Unable To Help:

One of the hardest situations to deal with is when someone asks for your help and you are unable to complete it not because you do not want to help him out but simply because you cannot help him out due to lack of knowledge, resources, or skills. The best way to deal with such situation is to tell him that you are not the appropriate person who can help him with that task. In addition to that refer him to a capable person who can help him out with his work. In this way, the person would not feel turned down but would be thankful to you for your guidance.

Author Bio

Eric Philip is a fervent blogger with extensive expertise in education, travel, health, lifestyle, career and technology based writing. He is at present an academic consultant for Dissertation Heaven an organization helping students to find ease and peace of mind with better results.