Many people are people pleasers. We want to help others. Somewhere deep in our soul there is a yearning to say yes to just about any request even if we know it may detract from our own lives.
And even if that isn’t fully the case there is the situation at work where you feel obligated to say yes to just about everything for fear of losing your job. Or losing a promotion. Or upsetting the boss. Or something such as that.
But “no” can be the correct answer to many things in a work setting.
Let’s say that a person at work is asking you to do a work task.
How can you tell them “no”?
1. Start With A Simple “No”
Keep it simple. Sometimes the person may be asking around for help with something. They have probably heard no from others. It’s okay to start with a simple no. That can be enough. No need to follow up in most cases. You know the reasons. The other person probably believes that you have good reasons. Just trust that fact.
2. Mention Current Priorities
That is unless they push further. Maybe they ask why you can’t help them. I like to focus on the priorities at work. What are the priorities you’re working on right now and what will have to be removed from the list in order to make room for this new task?
Have these in your mind. Then if someone, your boss or coworker or whomever, asks why you can’t do something you are prepared with a reasonable answer. And it might be that your boss wants you to put something aside to work on something more urgent.
But keep that on tab in case they ask in the future why you’re not up to speed on the priority list for the year.
3. Ask More Questions
It might be worth a little time to discuss the task in more depth. Learn more about it. See if it might be a good fit for you and your timeline. Maybe through the discussion you can come to some conclusion with the other person that you’re not the right fit for it. Or maybe you can even help them find a solution that doesn’t require you to commit to something while dropping something else off your plate.
4. Ask About Timeline
Maybe they asked you to do something and you felt it meant that they wanted you to do it right away. Instead, take a moment to discuss the timeline that they are expecting. It could be that they want you to help next month when you do have more time.
5. Think About A “Yes”
Yes might be the right answer. Tell the person that you want to take some time to consider the request. You want to look at your schedule and commitments. You want to determine how much effort and time it will require of you. Give them a timeline for when you will get back to them, probably within a day or so, and it should work out just fine.
Conclusion
It’s important to not over-commit yourself at work. It’s easy to do especially if you are a people pleaser. And it can be easy for coworkers and bosses to make requests without fully thinking things through. But with some discussion, both parties can come to an agreement that is good for all involved. One that doesn’t lead to your own burnout in the workplace.