The Art of Saying "NO" in the workplace

Effectively Communicating a Professional ‘No’

There are two different types of ‘no’s.’ There’s the one you say to friends and family. This ‘no’ means you simply can’t do something. “No, I can’t make dinner tonight.” “Sorry, no, I don’t have room in my car for you to catch a ride.” These negative responses address a single issue and usually don’t have any long-lasting effect. You’re responding to a single situation, and once you’ve said your piece, it’s over.

The other kind of ‘no’ is the professional one, and it’s very different. Although you could be saying ‘no’ to a single ask, there’s definitely a ripple effect. Too many ‘no’s,’ and maybe you’re not a team player. The wrong ‘no’ at the wrong time and maybe you’re not willing to put in the work.

Saying ‘no’ in a professional setting is absolutely necessary, but it requires some finesse to do it just right.

The art of the professional ‘no’

?The hardest part about saying ‘no’ at work is tone. You have to get it just right without offending anyone. It’s about being respectful and firm at the same time, finding the perfect phrasing where there’s no opening left for the asker to try and convince you to say ‘yes.’ You have to set your boundaries and maintain them without making yourself look bad.

?The trick is to be honest and straightforward. If you’re worried about a bad reaction, say “no, but…” and offer an alternative solution. “No, but I’m happy to help you find someone else in the department who can assist you.” You can also show compassion, and acknowledge that your ‘no’ makes this challenging. “I realize this means putting [the request] back on you, and that’s rough…”

Practice makes perfect

Once you feel like you’ve got your tone down, it’s time to practice. Having a strategy down for saying ‘no’ in person as well as over email or the phone will make it easier to respond spontaneously when things pop up at work. Rehearse a few phrases that can serve any situation and say them out loud to make sure they sound kind, steady, and clear. If writing out your ‘no,’ read through it a few times to ensure it can’t get misinterpreted by another reader.

Some go-to ‘no’ phrases include:

???Unfortunately, that won’t fit into my schedule today. Maybe I can help another time.

???Now isn’t a good time for me, but I’ll let you know if I have availability later in the week.

???I’m sorry, that just won’t fit into my schedule right now.

???I’m not the right fit for that task, but I can help think of someone else to ask.

Of course, you’ll have to adjust the phrase to fit the specific situation you’re in, but these can cover an array of professional requests where you want to tell the asker, ‘no.’

?Work with what you know for your ‘no’

?Another thing to remember about telling someone ‘no’ is that honesty counts. Don’t work up a lie as to why you can’t do something. They’re hard to maintain, and often come back to bite you. Instead, tell the truth, even if the truth is that you can’t do X because you’re overwhelmed right now with Y.

The truth can also come out in other ways where it’s almost impossible for the asker to argue with your ‘no.’

That’s not in my skillset

Even if you’re known around the office as a jack-of-all-trades, you still have a skillset where you’re the best. It’s okay to stick to it. It’s a great defense for saying ‘no’ should someone ask you to do something you either don’t know how to do, or aren’t confident enough you can do it best. Say, “Thanks for thinking of me, but I really think someone else (say who if you can) is more qualified for the task.”

It’s always helpful, and takes the attention away from the ‘no,’ when you use your skillset as a reason and have a suggestion for who could do the work. That way you’re saying ‘no’ and being helpful at the same time.

That’s not in the parameters of my job

It’s not completely out of the question that at some point you’ll get asked to do work that’s outside your position. It’s really up to you whether you want to say ‘yes’ to something in this category. Sometimes it’s fun to take on something new and try it out; sometimes it leads to work overload. It’s okay to defend your ‘no’ with something like, ‘that’s really outside of my job responsibilities,” or “that’s not work I regularly do, do you think [suggest someone else] would be better-suited for the project?”

That won’t fit into my schedule

Last-minute, frantic tasks come up all the time in a professional setting. Big projects, presentations with no notice — these are things that simply happen, however you’re not a miracle worker. There’s no shame in refusing a last-minute assignment because there really isn’t enough time for you to actually do it.

Your schedule is a real thing, and it’s a real defense when something comes along you have to say ‘no’ to. Try, “Thank you for thinking of me for this task. I really wish I could take this on right now, but I don’t have the time in my schedule.” You can even follow up with, “Could we delay it for a few weeks when things are less hectic for me?” Only do this if the task is something you will actually want to do. Remember, be truthful. Don’t put something off you won’t ever want to do by semi-promising to do it later.

?Saying ‘no’ is all about effective communication

Learning to communicate effectively, in a professional environment, takes a lot. There are different personalities to contend with, office politics, and even client and coworker relationships. We talk to management differently than contemporaries, customers differently than coworkers. Yet, each type of communication requires some level of finesse.

The best way to communicate well is to practice, and it doesn’t hurt to get a few tips. That’s where I can help. As a seasoned corporate communicator, I’m here to help individuals like yourself really hone their communication skills. My in-depth presentations guide fellow professionals through the ins and outs of effective communication, covering all the complexities you’ll find at work. I’ll help you understand why saying ‘yes’ is meaningful, and why saying ‘no’ is acceptable.

Contact me today to learn more.