A quick word first
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There are times in negotiation when we should say “no.” It may be a “no” to a ridiculous demand or it may be “no” to bad behavior. But it’s one thing to say “no” to a stranger. It’s quite another to refuse a friend who asks a favor, a colleague who wants your help, or your boss who tells you must work the whole weekend.
Back in January, I posted a short video inspired by my colleague Bill Ury’s book The Power of a Positive No. Specifically, the clip shows how to connect a firm “no” with a positive counter-proposal that opens a path to agreement. (Check this out if you haven’t seen it.)
In the same spirit, here’s a short (10-minute) video from Harvard Business Review that zeros in on the challenge of saying “no” to a colleague or, harder still, saying that to your boss.
Even in the healthiest workplaces, you’ll be asked to do things you’d strongly prefer to decline. You may not know when that’s coming, or what it might entail, but it could happen tomorrow or the next day. I recommend you find a friend to practice the technique so that both of you are ready to say “no” deftly, without stressing your relationships.