Learn To Say No At Work (job Assertiveness)
Knowing how to say no at work is a social skill (assertiveness) that fits the portrait of people with healthy self-esteem, a place from which security and knowledge are born to set limits for others. On the other hand, systematically saying yes could be an indicator of low self-esteem or an exaggerated desire to look good with others.
Learning to say no at work, even if that means being left out of a project or not always showing a pleasant image towards our colleagues or our superiors, in the long run will benefit us: we will be sending the message to others that we have our own criteria.
The people who always say yes are those who seek acceptance and recognition from their bosses or colleagues, who often tend to be authoritarian with them. To avoid these situations, we will see some tips to learn how to say no at work.
How to regain your assertiveness
We currently live in a labor market with high unemployment rates. A market that often focuses only on the results of the employees, so they can find it difficult if they refuse to participate in some type of activity.
This fear of saying that it does not mean that a colleague or a superior can take advantage of our vulnerability to demand more functions than those that correspond to us. On the other hand, and without the need for these people to act with bad intentions, not knowing how to say no at work can cause us to be forced to collaborate on projects that do not interest us or in which we would not have to participate.
To improve the assertiveness that should characterize us in a work environment, we can follow a series of guidelines:
1. Distinguish the problem
The inconvenience when saying that it cannot be the product of a communication problem, or be related to disorganization in the work environment. There are bosses who cannot clearly differentiate between what is important and what is urgent, which creates a more stressful work rhythm.
2. Be clear about what we think
To know how to say no at work, it will be essential to express our point of view about the situation clearly and concisely. For this, it is necessary that we have previously defined this point of view. It seems logical, but many times we make this mistake.
3. Know how you work
It will also be important to know how the internal processes of the company work. In this way, if we find difficulties when working with someone or if we invest too much time in a task, it is time to stop and see the situation with perspective to establish limits.
Keeping your work results present and up to date will also allow you to better understand how you work and face possible objections from a superior.
4. Speak wisely
Giving too many explanations or justifications when refusing to do a job can be taken as a show of submission to an aggressive boss. Instead of doing this, if we believe it is fair and correct to refuse to carry out an activity, it is best to think about the reasons that give us the right to do so and state them clearly. In addition, this will avoid possible reactions of impatience.
5. Think of your own interests
Finally, it is common to find employees who focus more on what their superiors will think or the good of their company than their own. Let’s not forget that, even within a company or work environment, we are individuals with particular interests.
Therefore, it is important not to systematically relegate our well-being. Of course, we must also be aware that belonging to a work environment will imply making certain sacrifices for the good of the group. We simply have to try to find a balance between giving and demanding that fits both the interests of the company and our own.
Ultimately, including assertiveness in our work relationships will make it more feasible for others, superiors and subordinates, to respect our rights. Sometimes it will be better to look bad in front of a superior than to “burn ourselves” for doing tasks that do not correspond to us. In the long run, this attitude will have an impact on both our benefit and that of the company.
