Sometimes, the best answer is “no,” and doesn’t have to come at the cost of your workplace relationships or reputation. Thea O’Connor discusses how to push back to contain your workload without threatening your career or being labelled difficult.
Speak from a place of knowing your value and competence, rather than from a place of weakness or being a victim,” – Cynthia Hickman, psychologist
Source: INTHEBLACK, September 1, 2021. Link. Key points:
- Saying “No” to extra work can be challenging in tough economic times but doing so can have benefits for teams and organizations
- Being proactive is essential. Anticipate expanding responsibilities and set out priorities to ease the process of saying “No”
- It is also important to speak from a place of empowerment, demonstrating the value of your skills and competencies
INSIGHTS: O’Connor’s examples of how to say, “no,” are helpful and worth studying and practicing.