Setting Boundaries

RANDom thought: You want me to do what?

I often give presentations on work/life balance and time management. Each time I present these topics, someone in the audience says, “my problem is I don’t know when or how to say no, so I take on too much.” Does that sound familiar to you?

In a recent HBR article, How to Respond to an Unreasonable Request, by Rebecca Zucker, there were some valuable tips on saying no. Here are a few of them. In addition, I have included the link to the article if you want to read more on this topic.

1. Who is asking you to do something, a boss, a friend, a co-worker? You may feel obligated to say yes but check in with yourself on how realistic the ask is and if you can do it, then go for it, but if not, speak up! Ask specific questions about time, the reason for the request, and expectations. If you can’t meet the demands, it is better to say no or offer an alternative solution. If it is your boss, this may not always be possible. However, you can still let her know that it adds to your workload and be specific about your ability to do the extra work in a reasonable time or put off current work to handle this additional project.

2. Don’t apologize for saying no. (This is not in the article but is my opinion). It is okay to say no if you cannot do something, you don’t have to give a long, drawn-out reason or apologize. Simply say, “I cannot do this at this time.” It is your prerogative to not do something!

Managing your time is your responsibility. It is okay not to be the go-to person all the time for everyone. Speak up and set your boundaries. Your life will be better for doing so.
I will discuss this topic more on FB live at my Career Cultivators site on Tuesday at 4:20. Join me there!

Also, check out this week’s podcast for more on this subject.

 
Be sure to follow me on the Facebook Career Cultivators page and Twitter.

Remember, as my Grandfather always said, “Take time to stop and smell the roses”!

Until we meet again, take care.