How to say NO at the workplace?

"Can you finish this project by the end of the day?" - Your Boss

But, your inner voice is screaming, "NO!"

Afterall, your inbox is piled up. You have a packed schedule.

But you still end up saying,?"Yes, Sure! I will do it."

WHY?

Because you don’t believe NO is an acceptable answer.

While saying NO, many fearful thoughts will flood your mind such as:

• If I say NO, my boss will think I am not a hard worker
• If I say NO, my boss will not give me a good appraisal
• If I say NO, my boss will not consider me for a promotion
• If I say NO, my boss will be angry at me.
• If I say NO, my boss will fire me.

It isn’t your fault. We are raised in such a culture. A culture where we believe that saying NO is insulting and unacceptable.

But, the reality is far from this.

Let me ask you a question first. How often have you said "Yes" to a request by your boss and immediately regretted it? Probably a lot

And when you regretted your extra responsibility, either you ended up with subpar quality of work or ended up compromising with your family time.

And neither is going to help your career in long term.

Learning to say NO is one of the essential work skills. Yet, saying this simple two-letter word requires a lot of courage.

Why does straight-up saying?NO?feels so hard? Because you do not want to harm your reputation.

You don't want to be labeled as the "difficult employee," "unreliable coworker," or "unapproachable."

You worry this kind of perception can damage your career prospects.

You may be tempted to believe that you have to be a people pleaser. But at what price? You will rapidly?burn out?if you say yes to everything.

Steve Jobs once said, "Focus is about saying NO."

Adding more work does nothing but lower the quality of all your work.

Today I'm telling you that there's always the choice to say NO. And you can do it without making it personal.

First you should know the essential situations where to say NO. These include

1. When a task falls outside the scope of your employment contract.
2. When a task is beyond your skill level.
3. You are asked to work extra hours without additional compensation.
4. When a task is interfering with your other priorities.
5. When the request is unethical or illegal.
6. You are asked to do something that will jeopardize your physical or mental health.

Now let's get into the tips that will help you to say NO to stressful demands at work:

1. Think it Through

Consider all the consequences when you get a request to take on additional work. Know the timeframe, parameters, and how it may impact your work. Please ask the right questions.

Tell the person you will check your schedule and get back to them.

Ask yourself, have you any free space, and what comes first? Is it what you have in your calendar or this new project? If you feel stretched far enough and other things are a priority, then you have your answer.

It's okay to ask for more time, but don't wait too long if you?know?your answer is NO.

2. Be Clear and Direct

If you must refuse, be firm. But there's a difference between being direct and being rude.

How you say?is much more significant than?what you say. So be careful; your tone can be easily misunderstood.

You should be clear and direct and say "No" firmly. Yet, you should also be friendly and courteous. Finding the right balance is crucial.

Whether you are saying no in person or through an email, ensure your tone remains polite.

My recommendation is that you start by thanking the person for thinking of you for the task. Then, share your current schedule, priorities, and other workloads. Then, decline their request by saying, "So, unfortunately, I won't be able to do it."

Remember, there is no need for you to be apologetic about declining a work request. If you want to remove the stigma around saying NO, you must also remove the negative emotions you display.

3. Offer an Alternative

You are technically refusing to do something, but you still want to look helpful and a team player. So then, it's only fair to propose an alternative.

Saying no becomes easier when you offer an alternative.

The key is to be flexible. If you can't do something on a specific day or time, see if another timeframe works for you and the other person. If you can't do an entire project, offer to do a small part.

You can help by suggesting alternatives without putting yourself under further mental, physical, or emotional strain.

4. Explain the Reason

You don't have to give detailed explanation about why you're declining. However, there may be cases where the other person has a right to more information. For example, if it's your boss and you're declining something that is part of your job description, you will be expected to give a good explanation.

Being transparent with your "no" will help your colleagues or boss understand that it's not personal.

You are saying no because you have a genuine reason for it. Sharing your reasons helps build trust between you and any other parties involved. In addition, your explanation is more compelling when it's brief and believable.

The more details you add to an explanation, the more it can sound like you are making things up even when it's 100% true.

5. Show Appreciation

At your workplace, you never want to leave a conversation on a sour note. Make an effort to always talk with kindness and to help others feel heard. An ounce of empathy may go a long way.

So after you've declined a request or rejected an idea, add something encouraging at the end, such as "I'm so honored you asked me, though!" or "Even though we can't execute it right now, that was a great idea! Thank you for sharing it with me."