Google "ways to be more productive" and the algorithm spits out over 353,000,000 search results.
You'll see titles like "9 Habits of Productive People", "How to Make the Most of Your Workday", and "20 Ways to Become More Productive".
These articles provide tips on everything from tackling your most challenging tasks before lunchtime to adding live plants and pops of color to your workspace.
Some are useful. Some are cute.
But few, if any, shed light on the ultimate productivity hack: learning when and how to say "no".
Why we should say "No" more often
Learning to say "no" is an important skill set for business leaders because it retains our most valuable asset: TIME ⏰.
How many formal and informal requests do you field every day? It's impossible to say yes to all of them and do them all well.
When we say yes to too many things, we waste time, energy, and opportunities.
Best-selling author James Clear sums it best:
"No is a form of time credit. You retain the ability to spend your future time however you want. Yes is a form of time debt. You have to pay back your commitment at some point."
Gracefully declining ideas and offers that don't benefit us or our businesses in the long run is a superpower that makes us better leaders and helps our businesses survive and thrive.
When to say "No!"
Start with saying "no!" to distractions that have zero to do with work.
Not all water cooler talk is bad. In fact, a lot of good ideas surface in these settings.
However, be mindful when water coolering. Keep conversations productive and say "no!" to gossip. The G Man is the ultimate productivity killer.
It goes without saying, but for the sake of not assuming...
Any request that violates procedures, guidelines, codes of ethics, or flat out breaks the law, gets an emphatic "no!".
When to say "No,..."
Most work-related requests deserve careful consideration before responding.
"Yes or no" isn't always immediately clear.
You don't want to anger or disappoint people whose help you will need in the future by hastily responding to a request without giving it some thought.
Never let personal biases drive decisions or dismiss people who don't seem important enough.
You want to gain a reputation of saying no for the right reasons. This builds trust and makes your yes's meaningful.
Asking questions and taking notes to clarify a person's request shows you care about their request. Empathy is a desirable trait.
Here are some questions to help clarify a request:
- What are we delivering?
- By when do we need to deliver it?
- What resources do we need?
- Who is the source of authority? Do they approve?
- What are the possible benefits?
- What are the obvious and hidden costs?
- How are we measuring success?
Once you have a clear understanding of the ask, if you feel anything less than a "Hell Yeah!", it's a "no". At least according to Derek.
How to say "No,..." gracefully
I'm sure you've heard the saying, "It's not what you say. It's how you say it."
A timely, well-reasoned, and well-delivered "no" saves time and trouble.
If you think the project or idea isn't feasible, say "I can't do it. I think the likelihood of success is low because _______".
It could be that the necessary resources are too great.
It could be that the project doesn't align with your team's/department's/company's goals right now.
It could be that the costs outweigh the possible benefits by a wide margin.
Whatever the reason, don't string your counterpart along. Respect the requester's time by responding quickly.
Be honest and direct. Beating around the bush and delaying a "no" benefits no one.
How to say "Maybe"
There are times when the asker's request makes sense, but you might not have the skill set to achieve it.
You could say, "Sorry, that's outside my skill set. I'm not even close." and be done with it.
Or you can avoid hard no's when you believe in an idea or project.
You could turn a no into a development opportunity by simply saying, "This is not my specialty. That said, if you accept that I'd need more time to get over the learning curve, I'd love to take a crack at it".
Likewise, if you don't have the time or bandwidth to help right now, a proper response could be, "I'm committed to other responsibilities and projects. I'd love to do this with you at another time. If possible, I'd love to be of service in the future."
If you simply can't help, but know someone who can, consider connecting them. Connecting people who can mutually benefit from each other builds trust.
(Pro tip: discuss the request with the other person before making the connection.)
In Closing
Most of us do a poor job of managing the tradeoff between yes and no because we don't want to be seen as rude or unhelpful. The thought of straining a relationship outweighs the commitment of our time and energy.
But remember, not doing something will always be faster than doing it.
No is a decision. Yes is a responsibility.
When we say "no", we are saying no to one option. When we say "yes", we are saying no to every other option.
Saying no isn't always easy. But we get better at it when we take time to consider the request and are gracious, honest, and direct with our responses.
As always, stay alert, stay educated, and most importantly, stay cool.
Talk soon,
Old Man Winter
