The Power of Saying No in the Right Way

Klydi Heywood

I believe the root word of business is busy. In order to be a good business professional, we must push ourselves to our limits and do our absolute best in everything. But it is this goal that is causing me to slowly lose my mind.

I found an article on Forbes.com that had valuable information on how and when to simply say “no.”

In the article, Susan Newman, Ph.D., a social psychologist and the author of The Book of No, says "people need to change their mindset about agreeing to everything.  By saying no, you can focus on your goals."

In order to give 100 percent to projects, we must give ourselves time. When we say no to something that has little or no correlation to do with our long terms goals, we become more effective.

The Forbes article advises to “take time to think before committing to a new project, and before you say no, consider the ramifications.” When we go above and beyond our position, we will get noticed. If this is a reputation you want, then consider carefully every decision until that reputation is built.

One piece of valuable advice I’ve heard from others in the field, and in this article, is to prioritize. If something is going conflicting with a more immediate or important project, state that to your requester and find other options for how you can help or ways the project can still be completed.

“Always try to offer something when you're turning someone down,” the article states.

I hope that this advice will help us all to become better businessmen and businesswomen as we strive to improve the business world.