How to say no to your employer

One of the hardest things to do when you work closely with your employer is to know how to (and of course when to) say no to anything that they may ask of you. The thing to remember is that sometimes it is okay to say no. Especially if it is something that is not within your remit, or it is something that you do not feel comfortable doing.

But how do you do it? How do you tackle saying no to someone who you work so closely with?

Give them a valid reason why you are saying no

Sometimes, one of the best things that you can do when you are going to be saying no to someone, is give them a reason why you are saying no. If they know the reasons behind it then they are more likely to react positively to it. Not only this, but it also gives you a chance to think about it properly and figure out why you don’t want to do it.

Offer an alternative

It is also a good idea, if you can, to think about whether or not there is an alternative that you can offer them. By showing them that there is another approach or another solution, there is a much greater chance that they are going to take your refusal well and that you won’t cause any long-term issues.

Remove any emotion

We know that it is easier said than do, but it is incredibly important that you try and remove any emotion from the situation if you can. Emotion can lead to anger, which can lead to arguments and you should never be in a situation whereby you are arguing with your employer. Not only can this cause you resentment, but you may even find that it affects your future employment.

Be brave

It may sound obvious, but one of the best things that you can do when you want to say no to your employer is to be brave. It is scary to think that you are going to say no, but you never know how they are going to react. They may understand exactly what you are saying, they may agree with your reasons and they may go back on what they have asked. All without any conflict.

As you can see, it may seem scary to say no to someone who you work for and that you care about. But it is sometimes the best thing that you can do. Take a deep breath, be brave and say what you feel. If you keep calm and take away any emotion from the situation, then you may be surprised by just how well it will go.