Can You Say No?

As a manager you are constantly being asked to do things - by your boss, by one of your fellow managers, by the head of another department, by one of your staff.

Your working life is a constant bombardment of requests coming from all quarters.

Your boss will ask you for a quick report on something or other in time for his upcoming meeting with the directors or his visit to see overseas customers. The report is, of course, very urgent.

Or you will be asked to give a presentation about some aspect of your department's work to colleagues elsewhere in the company. It will be an important communication between departments and will result in good publicity for you, your team, and its work.

Naturally you will receive numerous invitations to attend meetings at which your presence is needed.

And undoubtedly your fellow managers will contact you to ask small favours such as giving their particular request higher priority than others, or diverting a resource to a different project to speed that up at the expense of another. Needless to say, meeting your colleague's request is 'vital to the company'.

All these demands come on top of your habitual tasks such as progressing new projects, planning the budgets, studying the market and your competitors, organising your staff, reviewing their progress, and planning their training. And of course there are always the special requests from members of your staff to meet you to discuss some personal grievance or other problem.

The list goes on and on.

If you let this constant barrage of requests get on top of you, you will be ground down under the weight of them. There will be no end to them. Your work and that of your department will suffer.

You must learn to say NO.

There is a limit to what any individual or team can accomplish in a given time and it is your job as manager to set that limit. It is up to you to stay in control. It is too easy to always say yes, especially to your boss.

Everyone admires a 'can do' attitude. Nobody likes someone to says 'no' to everything. But people also like to see results. They don't want just promises. They want to see the job successfully completed. It is totally counterproductive to promise more than you can deliver. If you do, then eventually you won't be asked any more. Your reputation and that of your team will be gone forever.

So, be realistic. Define your limits. Draw the line. Sort out the core tasks that you have to do at all costs and give them priority. Then see what else you can do. Stick to your decision. Explain why.

You will soon be seen to be a reliable operator. Others will trust your judgement. They will learn that when you say you will do a job you really will do it, and on time. And when you say that you cannot do the job they will accept your word, because they will know that you are not just making excuses.

Your reputation and that of your team will be established.

(c) Copyright 2004

About The Author

Arthur Cooper is a writer and publisher.

To receive his articles by email send a blank message to: acarticles@arthurcooper.com.

To read them online go to: http://www.arthurcooper.com/

For articles ebooks and courses go to: http://www.barrel-publishing.com/

---

Dealing Effectively with Midlife Issues

In this article we would like to help you explore the challenges and opportunities that come at midlife. You will have an opportunity to take a look... Read More

Coaching Book Review: The Coach: Creating Partnerships for a Competitive Edge

Leaders today have many challenges when it comes to guiding and influencing the performance of their team members. In the past, productivity and success depended on sheer... Read More

Nothing is left to Chance

You are going to meet a very important client for lunch. What do you do? If you are anything like Anna the first job is to ensure... Read More

Are You A Work Addict?

Work addiction is very common in our society today, yet it is not one that is not highly recognised.An interesting article in the March edition of The... Read More

What The Buddha Says About Coaches

There is a Buddhist saying that goes like this: "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill it." This means to kill any concept of the... Read More

Coaching Prime Time

An awful lot of fantastic coaching has been coming out of Hollywood lately, have you noticed? Whether it's Morgan Spurlock's feature film debut "Supersize Me"... "Michael Moore's... Read More

Relaxation Couldnt Be Simpler

Many people use their sofa and TV to help them 'switch off and relax'. In reality, television programs can suspend you n stress for yours, with depressing... Read More

Say Adios to the Fear of Rejection!

Do you ever get an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach when you have to approach someone?In situations like this does your mind go blank?This is not unusual.... Read More

Smelling the Roses: Better Living Through Savoring

"Stop and smell the roses," people often say. Then they smile ruefully, because everybody knows there isn't enough TIME to stop or, as my daughter says, to... Read More

Run to Win

I was never much of an athlete growing up. Notoriously clumsy, I was ostracized by our school volleyball and basketball teams. Nevertheless, there was one sport in... Read More

Are You Controlling or Loving Yourself?

How often do you hear a parental voice in your head that says things like, "You've got to lose weight," or "You should get up earlier every... Read More

5 Steps to Derail Difficult People - Your Surefire Way to a Peaceful Resolution

That one guy at work that always has to be right; your buddy's wife who can't eat anywhere they serve burgers, or the monster-in-law, I mean mother-in-law,... Read More

Make a Decision and Take Action!

How are you progressing with the goals you set yourself this year?Have you made a start? Or are you still thinking about it or caught the very... Read More

Surviving the Workday in Your Organization

Most people suffer from stress at some time during the day. When you recognise your own peak and low energy levels, you can work with your body... Read More

Stay Connected To WHY You Are Doing Things

"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." Richard BachThis quote was shared with me by a fellow coach & colleague.... Read More

Do You Need a Performance Coach?

In today's fast paced world, we are often confronted with the issue, "I want to get in shape, but I just don't have the time!" We all... Read More

The Problem with Blame? If You Fix the Blame, You Ignore the Problem

Have you ever found yourself in a hurry to leave the house for an appointment when you could not find your car keys?Imagine that you and a... Read More

Reduce Anxiety About Decison Making

What's the alternative to making decisions?Allowing someone else, or circumstances, to make them for you.And that is giving up control of your life. That's giving up all... Read More

Developing Will Power and Self Discipline

Most people admire and respect strong individuals, who have won great success by manifesting will power and self discipline. They admire people, who with sheer will power,... Read More

Bringing Forgiveness Down To Earth

What does it mean to forgive?One of the first things we typically think when we hear the word "forgive" is that it is a spiritual concept that... Read More

Coaches, Do You Make These 7 Deadly Cash Flow Mistakes in Your Practice?

Managing cash flow is every small business owner's most important function. Avoid these seven deadly mistakes to make sure you aren't creating cash flow problems in your... Read More

How Not Letting Go of Your Past can Hurt Your Future

Experiences, whether good or bad, are sometimes all we have, and most of them reside in the past. So you may ask, why should I let go... Read More

Do You Ever Give Up Coaching Employees?

In principle, we don't want to give up coaching employees. We want to believe that we can eventually make a difference. Sometimes it's our own ego that... Read More

Could You Be A Workaholic?

If you need to put on boots and grab a lap-top computer to relieve yourself at night, you might be a redneck workaholic.It never crossed my mind... Read More

How to Effectively Balance Your Work and Family Life

What Is Your Definition of Success?If you want to create balance in your life, it is important to know how you define success. The following list is... Read More

What Rules!

There are things that we do automatically internally that we don't even realize are the things that make us who we are. Our own rules for living... Read More