Saying No

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life”- Socrates

---

The old adage goes there is a difference between being busy and being productive.  This is very true.  I can spend an hour doing some really focused work and feel much more accomplished that a day spent in meetings or other tasks.

Even in 450 BC Socrates felt the need to comment on the perils of staying busy.  It was truly BC then. Before Computers, Before Cell Phones and Before Conference calls.  Without the current trappings of modern technology humans still found a way to stay busy.

Are You Busy?

Think back to kindergarten. We were told we needed to be “busy little bees”. Staying busy would win the teachers approval and possibly keep him sane.

Often it feels like others judge us by the amount of motion in our lives, even if this is not forward motion. It is a badge of honor for your only open spot for a meeting to be lunch.  We are on so many committees that we forget which ones we actually need to be on. We have emails from two weeks ago we still need to respond too.

The problem with the need to stay busy is its naturally leads to over-commitment.  Saying “No” becomes increasingly difficult.  We are suddenly overwhelmed with projects, committees and other activities that pull us away from our main responsibility.

Picture a car spinning its tires, the gas pedal to the floor, the engine whining but the car is not moving.  If this keeps up the engine will eventually explode. This is the way most of us live our lives.

Are You Productive?

Productivity is best measured by output not motion. 

Do you get stuff done? 

After you have spent an hour at your desk working on a project is there something tangible you can show or is the screen still blank?

After the meeting did people leave with clear action items or did the meeting end with things just as vague as when it started?  Scheduling a meeting to clarify a previous meeting is the worst.

Productivity is best measured by output

Being productive means recognizing you are human.  This means not overextending yourself to the point you are no good to anybody.  You need to recognize your limitations and learn how to tactfully say no.

Remember that productivity is not how many hours you spent doing something. Productivity is what you get done.

No is not a four letter word.

In his Sept 2013 Harvard Business Review article Peter Bergman outlines some strategies to help you say no.  One strategy is to realize that you are not saying no to the person, you are just saying no to the project.  With this mindset you can shape your no as graciously declining the request but maintaining the relationship with the person asking.

Amy Dallio points out, “saying no now is much easier than explaining to your colleagues why you dropped the ball.”

How true is that?  Would you rather disappoint someone up front or fail to deliver and potentially change their perception of your work?

Saying No To Your Boss

---

While it may not be easy to say no to a colleague or friend, what if the person asking you to add one more thing to your busy schedule happens to be your boss? 

First of all you need to determine where they are coming from when asking you to add something additional.

Is it because they don’t think you are busy enough?

Schedule a meeting to review with them all the current projects you are working on. They may honestly not be aware of how many irons you currently have in the fire.

Is it because they see this as a growth opportunity for you? 

Great, thank her for keeping you in mind, show your enthusiasm and ask if there is another project you can hand off or pause to make room for this project.

If you can handle the additional assignment without overloading yourself that’s great. If not then start by showing  a willingness to be flexible, while being open about your current workload. 

A few well-placed No’s may go a long way toward making you great at what you are currently committed to doing

You are not saying no to the person, but to the project.

Peter Bergman

---

It Starts With No

Socrates pointed out that the busy life is a lonely life.  We can spend our time doing countless meaningless tasks, over committing ourselves and creating the illusion of being productive or focus our time on key initiatives, pare down our current commitments and learn to say no.  We can produce excellent results, without being stretched to thin.

It starts with no.

What will you say no to?