Do you ever feel like you’re always saying “Yes” even when you should be saying “No”? It feels good to be that person that always finds a way to get things done but we’ve found that in our industry of promotional products saying yes all the time can lead to unsustainable expectations and pitfalls. Learning how to gracefully say “No” is a valuable tool that can help you maintain a high level of customer service for realistic projects.
Here are some thoughts Elizabeth Grace Saunders had in ‘Setting Boundaries & Saying No..Nicely’:
But the problem I frequently see with my time coaching clients is that their default response of, “Sure, I’ll get that to you by tomorrow,” leads to long-term negative consequences for themselves and others, such as:
• Handling small requests but putting off important projects
• Turning in late or low-quality work
• Doing other people’s work for them instead of properly delegating
• Working extra hours so they can’t move forward on personal goals
• Sacrificing sleep, exercise, and time with people they enjoy
• Developing a reputation for being approachable but not reliable
• Having people nag them about when they will get things done
• Feeling overwhelmed, inadequate, guilty, frustrated, and resentful