Five thoughts on saying no

18 September 2017 -

We have to say “no” more in business. The trick is to say it right. Here are five ways to say a “no” that means “yes”

Guest blogger Pencka Gancheva CMgr

Just a quick comment on your article, “Why good leaders say no”, taken from Svend Brinkmann's Stand Firm: Resisting the Self-improvement Craze.

If we feel that we are overwhelmed, maybe it's time to learn to say no. I am not talking about denial, but rather the ability to regain control over our own lives, activities and tasks and to get rid of the feeling that it is the other way round.

Over the past few decades, a number of psychologists have been studying the theory of cognitive load. The term cognitive load relates to the amount of information that working memory can hold at a time. John Sweller, an Australian psychologist stated in 1988 that, since working memory has a limited capacity, instructional methods should avoid overloading it with additional activities that do not directly contribute to learning.

To be really effective, we have to establish clear boundaries between work and ourselves, as well as better management of our cognitive load. Both require knowing when and how to say no.

First, we need awareness of when it is best to say no and what we want to accomplish with it. This helps to clarify where our boundaries lie. The next step is learning how to say it effectively. There are diplomatic approaches for polite but yet firm refusal:

• "I am sorry I can't get involved with it right now."
• "I am sorry, but this is not a good time. I have another priority that requires my attention. "
• "You know, I am probably not the best person for that."
• "It's an honour, but I honestly can't right now."

At first it may be difficult to apply diplomacy in rejection. But in business, sometimes saying "no" means "yes" to a greater opportunity.

At first it may be difficult to apply diplomacy in rejection. But in business, sometimes saying "no" means "yes" to a greater opportunity.

Pencka Gancheva CMgr MCMI is a Chartered Manager, mathematician and Brexiteer