How many times have you heard this? So, there are right ways and wrong ways.

You can’t say no because you have too much to do. You can’t say no because you have no resources. You can’t say no when it’s the business or your client. You can’t say no when it’s your boss. You can’t say no because you think it’s not important. You can’t say no because your boss told you to say no.

What you CAN say:

1. If it’s a workload issue, you can say:

“That’s a great idea. Let’s look at everything on our plate now and see if there are things which should come off given that this might be more important.”

Trade-offs are a way of life. We will always have more demand than supply. The key is to prioritize. Sometimes, I don’t realize that my team is still working on things that we no longer need. It’s always good to look at new demand against what you currently have in queue.

2. If it’s a resource issue, you can say:

“That’s a great idea.  I’d like us to work on this, but we’ll need x resources in order to get it started. Then I can come back to you with what’s required for the full roll-out.”

No matter how tight budgets are, how focused on expenses your organization is, there is always money for the great idea. Don’t shut down ideas just because you don’t have resources. If there is a business case,  ask for what you need for the pilot or discovery phase. They can only say no.

3. If it’s a really bad idea, you can say:

“I can see why you would think that would work. Let me take you through why I think now might not be the right time.”

You’re not saying no. You’re saying maybe later. If the idea is good, it will re-emerge. If not, it will die a natural death.

4. If it’s a demanding client, you can say:

“Here’s everything we’re doing now. If we add these things, we’re going to delay some of these initiatives. Is that acceptable?”

We’re not saying no. We’re showing the implications.

5. If it’s something you know you should not do.

This is the one time you can just say no. If someone is asking you to do something that is against Firm policy, to look the other way, to do something you know isn’t right, you have the responsibility to say no.