One of the worst feelings is a lack of control. When you don’t have control over your situation, you feel powerless and unhappy. It feels much better to call the shots that affect your life, especially at work. No one wants to be at the beck and call of everyone around them—when you probably have much better ideas about the best way to spend your time!
What You Can Do
Take firm hold of the reigns and learn why, when and how to say no. Just follow these tips from one of the staffing agencies in Atlanta—Snelling Georgia Group.
Why to Say No
You’ve probably been in a situation where you said yes to a request for help from your coworker—simply because you felt that you should. But then once you started to help, you realized it was cutting into your daily responsibilities, or it was outside your job knowledge, or it was just not something you wanted to do. When you say no to unreasonable requests, it helps you in the following ways:
Set Boundaries
Until they know more about you, coworkers won’t understand how far they can push you—and some can be over-the-top pushy. If you work with people who aren’t respectful of others’ time, it’s good to set boundaries.
Prioritize Your Tasks
Maybe you have a tight deadline you’re trying to meet, and helping will cause you to miss it. If you’re on top of your to-do list, you know what you can reasonably tackle—and not tackle.
Manage Stress and Avoid Burnout
Doing too much for too long isn’t healthy. Saying yes too often can cause you to become overworked, and that’s not a benefit to you or anyone you work with.
Simply put, saying no can add to your happiness because you’ll be in control of your own stress level at work—and that leads to improved happiness.
Monitor How Often You Say No
Obviously, it’s not a good idea to say no all the time. If you can comfortably accommodate a coworker’s request and it doesn’t cut into other work you’re doing, saying yes is fine. But if helping someone will put you over the edge, it’s best for all involved if you politely decline. Another option is letting your boss know about the request and asking how to prioritize your other tasks if you say yes. This way, you can make sure you’re not tacking on too much, your boss is aware of your workload, and you’ve ensured you’re prioritizing the right work.
How to Say No
Always be professional. Tell your coworker you understand they need help, but you’re not in a position right now to be a good resource for them. Suggest another person who might be able to help. Apologize, but say you have too much on your plate right now that you need to focus on.
When Work Gets to be Too Much
If you find yourself overloaded and overworked frequently at work, it may be time for a change. And if you’re in search of something new in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, give Snelling Georgia a call. We’ll work with you to understand your career goals and find a new job that fits.
