For those of us who are busy and often times find ourselves over committed, Peter Bregman recently shared some great tips on saying no.
- Be appreciative. It's almost never an insult when people make requests of you.
- Say no to the request, not the person. You're not rejecting the person, just declining his invitation. polite and kind will communicate that you aren't rejecting him.
- Explain why. The particulars of your reason for saying no make very little difference. But having a reason does.
- Be as resolute as they are pushy. Some people don't give up easily.
- Practice. Choose some easy, low-risk situations in which to practice saying no.
- Establish a pre-emptive no. We all have certain people in our lives who tend to make repeated, sometimes burdensome requests of us. In those cases, it's better to say no before the request even comes in.
- Be prepared to miss out. Some of us have a hard time saying no because we hate to miss an opportunityRemind yourself that when you're saying no to the request, you are simultaneously saying yes to something you value more than the request.
- Gather your courage. If you're someone who is used to saying yes, it will take courage to say no, especially if the person asking doesn't give up easily.
