To know how to say no in the professional sphere, it is first necessary to know precisely the perimeters of responsibilities.
And a first pitfall can arise if the employee and his manager do not completely agree on these perimeters.
Let's take the example of an accountant who spends time responding to her colleagues on technical issues while her manager expects her to do more strategic work. There will inevitably be at one time or another conflict and overhaul.
A second risk can be confined to what is called "relational prostitution": If you say yes to everything, you will be appreciated for what you do and not for what you are.
Example: A mother who has given everything to her son since childhood can be told when he becomes a teenager “but I never asked you for anything”. To avoid falling into the trap of relational prostitution, you have to learn to say no.
There are three levels to say "no":
- The no who as an expression of an inability to say yes. “I would like to please you, but I cannot do what you ask of me”. Expressed this way, no preserves the relationship
- The no that takes priorities into account. "I could do it but right now I have other priorities."
- The no which is positioned one degree above and clearly means “it does not suit me”
