{"id":354,"date":"2012-12-05T15:51:46","date_gmt":"2012-12-05T20:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.leadershipintherealworldblog.com\/?p=354"},"modified":"2012-12-05T16:23:42","modified_gmt":"2012-12-05T21:23:42","slug":"how-to-say-no-without-saying-no-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leadershipintherealworldblog.com\/index.php\/2012\/12\/how-to-say-no-without-saying-no-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say “No” without Saying “No!”"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Hey, could you do this for me?”<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It’s a simple question<\/strong>. Being a team player (or a good direct report), it seems like a reasonable answer would be “Sure!” <\/span>But t<\/span>here are times when saying \u201cNo\u201d is the best way to respond. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is not a matter of laziness or unwillingness to help<\/strong>. Rather, it is a reflection of other circumstances, such as you already being fully committed to other work. Or it could be\u00a0that someone else would be better suited for the work. <\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless, saying \u201cNo\u201d can be difficult<\/strong>, especially when the request is coming from a boss or colleague higher in the organization. <\/span><\/p>\n

The list below outlines some responses that are effectively saying \u201cNo\u201d without necessarily using the word \u201cNo\u201d. Clearly, none of these will work perfectly every time. You may also find ways to combine some of the approaches. The key is to adapt the response to the situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Express your willingness to help (with an explanation, if necessary).<\/strong>\u00a0Showing that you have a willingness to be\u00a0part of the solution is nearly always a positive approach. It will not serve you well to be known as the \u201cNo\u201d person\u2014the person who tends to respond \u201cNo\u201d to seemingly every request.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n