Want More Success? Just Say “No†[7P Productions]
“No.”
It is such a strong, negative word. As someone who considers myself an optimist, I feel terrible just saying it. The thing about it is, I say it all the time, whether I realize it or not.
Do I want to work late to get ahead at my job? If I say “yes” to that, then I’m saying “no” to the time I would have with my family at night. Do I want to stretch my budget and buy that fancy car? If I say “yes” to that, then I’m saying “no” to the downpayment I need for my next house.
Life is filled with choices, and sometimes we make them without being aware of it. Are you the kind of person who don’t want to say “no” when someone asks for a favor? Well, unfortunately if you say “yes”, there will be other things that you will be automatically be saying “no” to. Of course that’s fine, but it’s important to be aware that you’re making these choices, rather than unknowingly making choices that do not align with your values or priorities.
Sometimes you have to say “no” to new commitments in order to allow yourself to say “yes” to other commitments that are important in your life. Here are some tips on how to say “no” effectively:
- Be up front: Typically the best approach. Describe your situation to them to explain why the situation prevents you from saying “yes.” They can then judge whether to approach you again for the next time. If you’re simply labeled as a “No” person, then they might actually skip you when they have a good opportunity in the future.
- Redirection: Point that person to a direction - to another person or another approach - where they will have a better chance of finding a “yes.” If you are a person who can redirect someone to an effective alternative, you will still be considered valuable.
- “Maybe”: The word “maybe” is sometimes a good euphemism for “no.”
- A Polite “No”: If none of the above options are viable, then a polite “no” should do. Sometimes you simply have to be direct without going through the messy details of the other approaches.
- A Blunt “No”: This is the tactic against someone behaving like a persistent salesperson. Sometimes the emphatic “no” is the only “no” they’ll hear.
Original post here: Al at 7P
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