Written By Lizanne Dsouza-Founder Liz Lyn Careers
Many people find it hard to say "NO", and subsequently find that their expectations aren't met or they do not feel appreciated in the end.
So then is it ok to say NO? If yes, when is it ok to say NO?
1. Say "NO" when you have too much on your plate: Its ok to say no if you feel like you have enough tasks assigned to you, by taking on more you are only going to hinder your own productivity and probably make mistakes, so say no in order to ensure that you are being as productive as possible.
2. Say "NO" if your employer is asking you to work on Holidays: when you apply for leave or are on holiday this is downtime that you deserve and hopefully have applied for well in advance, hence it's okay to ask that you are not disturbed during this time.
3. Say "NO" to a colleague who constantly makes you do their tasks during a team assignment: the idea of having a team work together on anything is so that the work is equally divided and hence you doing someone else job doesn't really do justice to the idea in the first place.
4. Say "NO" to an employer/employee who is being inappropriate at work: No matter how close you are or how casual you are at the workplace, there is always a line that shouldn't be crossed, and it's ok to say No to anything that you think is inappropriate and makes you feel uncomfortable.
5. Say "NO" to office bullying: JUST SAY NO.
6. Say "NO" to having to lie on behalf of your organization or employer: It's ok to refuse someone if you are asked to lie or do anything that is against your principles and you do not even have to have a reason, having integrity is a very important trait and one that must be appreciated and conserved.
I know sometimes it can be hard to say no and we always ask the question "how can I say NO?" I will tell you how- Politely, it's okay to refuse things politely because when you do things even if they don't make you feel good, you will only feel uncomfortable and regret it later. Being a Yes Man has its privileges, but in the end it only breeds contempt.