So
you’ve been asked by your boss to take on a project that you know you
won’t be able to deliver on time and at a high quality. How can you turn
the project down and still be a team player? Saying no to your boss is
an art form that’s all about nuance. Let’s walk through the basics.
First, pull a page from Don Draper’s playbook: seldom does the Mad Men star use the word no — it’s too definitive. Instead of outright saying no to your boss, infer it. This is part of what social recruiting experts would call the “right” way to say no. The truth of the matter is that no one wants to hear the word no to something they have asked you to do. Recognizing that will put you one step ahead.
The next thing that you want to do is frame your boss’s interests and your own as in sync. If your current responsibilities are impeding your ability to get this new task accomplished, remind your boss that the quality of work that you produce is a reflection of his own reputation and that of the company’s. If you’re at a point where you feel like saying yes to every project that comes your way will advance your career, you want to remember that the same maxim is applicable to you: producing work that is below the quality expected can damage your reputation.
When having the “no” discussion with your boss it’s important that you make it clear that you do not want to decline the project. You also want to show your boss that you have taken the time to think about what exactly is being asked of you. Best practice is to avoid initiating the “no” discussion via email; email is a very direct medium and cut through the subtleties that you’re working so hard to convey.
Your boss has said no to your no. Your boss’s no wins. Now what? Try to alleviate some of your other responsibilities so that you can concentrate on the project or task that is being asked of you. Additionally, try to limit the scope of this new project. Ask questions that make part of this new project seem redundant as a result of something else that has been done or just unnecessary.
A wise classic rock band once said “you can’t always get what you want,” so it’s worth remembering that the “no” discussion with your boss isn’t always going to produce the desired outcome. However, companies value employees that can think for themselves and don’t just accept everything that’s given. Creating that kind of work reputation can lead to you earning more of your boss’s trust, which ultimately can reduce the amount of times that you will have to say no.
First, pull a page from Don Draper’s playbook: seldom does the Mad Men star use the word no — it’s too definitive. Instead of outright saying no to your boss, infer it. This is part of what social recruiting experts would call the “right” way to say no. The truth of the matter is that no one wants to hear the word no to something they have asked you to do. Recognizing that will put you one step ahead.
The next thing that you want to do is frame your boss’s interests and your own as in sync. If your current responsibilities are impeding your ability to get this new task accomplished, remind your boss that the quality of work that you produce is a reflection of his own reputation and that of the company’s. If you’re at a point where you feel like saying yes to every project that comes your way will advance your career, you want to remember that the same maxim is applicable to you: producing work that is below the quality expected can damage your reputation.
When having the “no” discussion with your boss it’s important that you make it clear that you do not want to decline the project. You also want to show your boss that you have taken the time to think about what exactly is being asked of you. Best practice is to avoid initiating the “no” discussion via email; email is a very direct medium and cut through the subtleties that you’re working so hard to convey.
Your boss has said no to your no. Your boss’s no wins. Now what? Try to alleviate some of your other responsibilities so that you can concentrate on the project or task that is being asked of you. Additionally, try to limit the scope of this new project. Ask questions that make part of this new project seem redundant as a result of something else that has been done or just unnecessary.
A wise classic rock band once said “you can’t always get what you want,” so it’s worth remembering that the “no” discussion with your boss isn’t always going to produce the desired outcome. However, companies value employees that can think for themselves and don’t just accept everything that’s given. Creating that kind of work reputation can lead to you earning more of your boss’s trust, which ultimately can reduce the amount of times that you will have to say no.
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