Anyone who sometimes says no at work is not necessarily a bad colleague. Too many yeses can even be detrimental to your career.
Many people find it difficult to say a resolute “no” at work. After all, they don’t want to disappoint their boss or colleagues and put in one overtime hour after the other. But whoever only says yes will damage his career at the end. Here’s how to learn to say no at work.
Ask for time to think
A good strategy for learning how to say no at work is to ask for time to think it over first. Give yourself five or ten minutes, or the next day if the request is large, before responding. So you can decide in peace whether you want to comply with the request or not.
Know your limits
In order to be able to say no, you have to know your own limits and take them into account. The personal stress limit is particularly important. But you should also be aware of the question of how much extra work is acceptable and what ultimately exceeds your capacities before you let yourself be carried away to say yes. It is not a sign of weakness to articulate your own needs. On the contrary, because a friendly no will earn you more respect from your colleagues in the long term than unlimited willingness to help.
Don’t think so much about others
Oftentimes, when we turn down a request or turn down work, we fear disappointing someone. After all, a good relationship with colleagues and the supervisor is worth a lot, but you should weigh up when you have to help and when you have to say no at work. Be self-confident at work and say no boldly and politely but firmly.
Justify your decision
If you say no at work, your interlocutor will be more understanding if you can justify your decision. In addition, you can also show your counterpart possible negative consequences that will occur if you comply with the request. Present your arguments in an appropriate tone. Adopt a self-confident posture, be confident and communicate your concerns clearly and unambiguously.
Be very gentle if it’s the boss
It is particularly difficult to refuse a request from a manager. Saying no to the boss is particularly difficult, but definitely doable. And in some cases it can even boost your career, as your boss will recognize you as a confident employee. However, you should proceed with a lot of sensitivity if you want to turn down your boss. Look him in the eye during the conversation, justify your decision in a polite but firm voice and you will not only be able to refuse his request, but also emerge from the conversation as a winner. Because you not only managed to say no, but also increased your standing with your manager.
Editorial office finanzen.net