INTHEBLACK September 2021 - Magazine - Page 66
WORK
SMART
// S AY I N G N O
STORY THEA O’CONNOR
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HOW TO GET
AHEAD AT WORK
BY SAYING “NO”
S O M E T I M E S , T H E B E S T A N S W E R I S “ N O ”, A N D I T N E E D N O T C O M E
AT T H E C O S T O F YO U R W O R K P L A C E R E L AT I O N S H I P S O R R E P U TAT I O N .
AT A G L A N C E
Saying “No” to extra
work can be challenging
in tough economic times,
but doing so can have
benefits for teams and
organisations.
Being proactive is
essential. Anticipate
expanding
responsibilities and set
out priorities to ease the
process of saying “No”.
It is also important
to speak from a place
of empowerment,
demonstrating the
value of your skills
and competencies.
66 ITB September 2021
Y
ou are already stressed and stretched to the limit.
The mere thought of being asked to do just one
more thing creates a sense of panic.
How do you push back to contain your workload
without threatening your career or being labelled
difficult, especially in tough economic times, when
everyone is trying to do more with less?
This is a dilemma that Andy Johnson, Brisbane-based
executive coach, often addresses with his clients.
“Workload stress has always been an issue in the financial
services industry, but last year it shifted to being a survival
issue. People felt they had to keep taking on more work for
the survival of the business, or to keep their jobs for the
sake of their own survival,” Johnson says.
The problem is, taking on increasing amounts of work
without adequate recovery delivers ever-diminishing
returns for time invested and puts workers on a sure
path to burnout.
Herein lies the value in developing the art of the
judicial “No”.
A SKILL THAT CAN BE LEARNED
Erin Landells is organisational development manager
with mine water remediation company Global Aquatica.
She is the first to admit that she is “terrible at saying
‘No’” and takes on too many things, which leaves her
continually anxious and stressed.
Over the years, she has identified this pattern as a
weakness and has developed effective strategies to
prevent overload. When asked to take on extra work
when she is already at capacity, Landells’ go-to
response is now, “I’m currently working on X, Y and Z
– which one of these do you want me to stop working
on, or can wait?”.
“I still don’t find it easy to do, but when I have used
this with my managers, it’s been fine!” Landells says.
BE PROACTIVE
If you want to be on the front foot about reining in your
ever-expanding list of responsibilities, flag this in a
conversation with your manager ahead of time, so it
does not come as a surprise, recommends Johnson.
“Lead with the positives,” he says. “State how this will
benefit the company and benefit you.” If, for example, you
want to leave work on time, benefits could include feeling
more present and energised when you are at work, or
being more strategic about achieving your priorities.
DEMONSTRATE YOUR PROFESSIONALISM
Joseph Donnelly, university career counsellor and lecturer,
has a diverse role that is prone to scope creep, so he
often has extra projects come his way. Over time, he has
found a way to talk to his manager about what he can
and cannot take on without compromising his reputation.
“I shared with my manager how I’m a big picture
thinker, so if I get a request, I don’t just think about that
piece of work, but how this work relates to, and might
impact, everything else,” says Donnelly. He typically asks