In professional and personal coaching, at one point you just have to find a way to help people say one, yet extremely powerful word:
“No.”
It can be daunting to do it.
People are so used to this idea that you have to always be available, a team player, and willing to go the extra mile to show your worth at all times. It’s thought of as the most effective way to move forward in your professional life.
But in reality, saying no can be very beneficial in your career.
When Should You Be Saying “No”?
Your career will present you with countless opportunities to say no:
- Recruitment pitches that don’t work for your career path at all
- Requests for free stuff (advice, labor, etc.)
- Low-ball offers
- Extra work that isn’t compensated
- Colleague interruptions, etc.
Learning how to say no can give you a competitive advantage because you can use it to deter the events that aim to take you off your path toward reaching your career goals.
Doing someone a favor once in a while isn’t necessarily bad. It can be a way to strengthen your relationship with managers and co-workers. But if you have a habit of saying “yes” to everything, at one point you can end up:
- Overworked
- Underpaid
- Frustrated
- Exhausted
- Confused about your future
So, How Can You Say “No” Without Jeopardizing Your Career?
A lot of the time, the clients I work with have a problem in terms of mindset.
They see saying the word “no” mostly from the perspective of the other person, and how it will affect them. How they won’t get the help they need, the advice, or the task done.
But, it’s important to put yourself back into the story because saying “no” also affects you.
Here are a few tips that can help you figure out when and how to say “no” without it jeopardizing your career:
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- Take a few moments – You don’t have to accept or reject a proposal right away. Just say, “give me a few minutes to think it over”;
- Evaluate your priorities – Consider your goals, and how this proposal fits into your journey. Does it help? Does it distract you from your path? Does it prevent you from focusing on other things?;
- Consider the results of saying yes – Now think about the scenario of saying yes. What would that look like? Would it be beneficial to you? Can you do it alone or would you need more support?
- Rip the bandaid – If you analyze the proposal and want to reject it, then it’s best to rip the bandaid off, just say “no,” and add your reasoning.
I’m not going to lie, it will most likely still be difficult at first, even if you follow these steps.
You will need to give yourself some time to embrace the idea that saying “no” is not the end of the world, and that it can actually help you move forward with your career goals.
And eventually, it will happen!
Creator of the KASHBOX: Knowledge, Attitude, Skills, Habits
Helping You Realize Your Potential
I help people discover their potential, expand and develop the skills and attitudes necessary to achieve a higher degree of personal and professional success and create a plan that enables them to balance the profit motives of their business with the personal motives of their lives.
