The Power of Saying NO! 121
Chandra and John both would have been better off if
Chandra had said,
I know I’m good at lettering, but I don’t enjoy it.
Thanks for asking, but I don’t want to.Hannah told her sister Ellen,
Now isn’t the best time to visit. I won’t be able to give you
the attention you need.Ellen didn’t need attention. She just wanted to hang around.
She already had her tickets. She had scheduled her vacation. But
the issue wasn’t really about whether Hannah could give Ellen
attention or not. The issue was that Hannah had been seriously
overworked and needed downtime. Ellen would have under-
stood had Hannah said,
I’d love to see you, but I’m overworked and am desper-
ate for downtime. I am so sorry to have to back out on
this visit, but I need to.Forget the hints and say what you mean. When you only
hint, you put pressure on the other person to decipher your
meaning.
PowerPhrases to Say “No”; Mean What
You Say
Meaning what you say is the hardest part about saying “no.”
Before you speak, be sure you will back yourself up.