Ask Yourself These Questions Before You Say No at Work

Figuring out how to say no at work is a challenge in itself . However, before you go that far, you must decide whether or not you should say no. When will quitting your job hurt your career, and when can judicious use of your boundaries really help your productivity? Here’s how to understand it.

Why say no?

It’s hard to refuse help. You may feel pressure from your boss or worry that turning down extra work will reflect badly on you. These are good reasons, but saying no to optional tasks will also help your productivity, as it frees you up to do the work you actually need to do.

A study published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education recommends making a to-do list to be more productive, but also skipping it when someone asks if something can be added to the list. Researchers have identified the dangers of answering “yes” too often, including overzealousness and poor performance in required work.

How to decide whether to say “no”

When someone tries to get you to take on a new job, instead of thinking about how it will affect them if you don’t help, you need to be a little selfish, which doesn’t make you a bad employee. Giving yourself the opportunity to fully focus on your own tasks, you really work better. Researchers recommend asking yourself the following questions:

• Does the request align with your career goals?
• Will your skills come in handy at work?
• What is the long-term benefit of this work? Could this lead to other work more closely related to your goals?
• What is the time frame for this work? Does it need to be done within a week, a month, or can it be done over the longer term where you might have more time?
• Is it possible to participate in some of the work, but not in all?
• Are you able to waive other responsibility in order to fulfill a new request?
• Is the customer someone who is your manager or who can influence your career?
• Can saying no jeopardize other parts of your job or career goals?

By practicing looking at all potential new jobs through this lens, you will learn to put yourself and your job first and eventually be able to refuse or accept a new job on the spot, which is also key to productivity and time management.

further reading

Want to learn more from experts on how to work well in a team and be productive for yourself and on your own? Try these books:

• The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Develop the Three Essential Virtues by Patrick M. Lencioni ($16.22)
• The Art of Saying No: How to Stand Your Ground, Get Your Time and Energy Back, and Quit Taking for granted (no guilt!) Damon Zachariades ($9.99)
• When I Say No, I Feel Guilty Manuel J. Smith ($8.99)