This article illustrates how enterprise wide risk management has evolved over the last few years and emphasises how organisations can benefit from adopting it.
Why learning to say no is important
Posted By Mark on April 6th, 2010
Saying no is perhaps one of the hardest things to do. Helping other people out is good and pleasing other people is nice, so yes is almost always our default answer. It becomes even harder to say no when faced with confusing statements. “Don’t you want to help your friend?”, “Don’t you want to invest some time in building
relationships?”
Saying yes, however, could be one of the most unproductive habits one could have. When we commit to doing more than we can handle, we have less time to work on our priorities. Saying yes can also damage your reputation and relationships with other people.
When to Say No
Saying no takes a lot of reflection and requires a deep conviction that you are right to say no. You have to be convinced that no is a defensible answer – that it is backed by the right principles.
Only then will you be able to say no without feeling guilty or defensive. Thus, to say no, we must know our priorities; we must know which activities we need to accomplish.
You can’t say no just for the sake of saying no. You have to say no only when you know and are convinced that whatever the consequences are, saying no is the right course to take.
Saying no is therefore rooted to how we actually prioritise things in our lives. If your family is more important to you than your job, then how come it’s much easier to say no to your children than to your boss? If financial stability for your family or keeping your job is more important than your friends’ acceptance, then why is it so hard to turn friends down when they want you to help them on their projects at the expense of your own plans?
Saying no starts with knowing what is and what is not important. However, it has to be followed up with the courage to stand firmly by your priorities.
How to Say No
Saying no is indeed hard. However, when someone with integrity does it, people cannot help but respect it. When you are asked by your boss to work on an unscheduled project, you can say “I’m sorry, Sir, but much as I want to help you, I have already promised my son that I would attend his baseball game today – and I make it a point to keep every promise I make.” If your boss knows that you do indeed keep every promise you make, he will respect your decision.
If a colleague asks for your assistance or if your boss asks that you handle additional projects, do not automatically say yes. If you truly have no time for it, show them your planner and say “I know those are important to you but, based on my understanding, the projects already assigned to me are important, too. Perhaps you
could move some of the deadlines set for these or perhaps you could help me explain why these have to be moved so that I can accommodate your request.”
Be honest enough to admit that you don’t have time, be responsible enough to do your work efficiently, keep your promises, and never bite off more than you can chew. In time, people will respect your decision whenever you say no.
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