ter off for research, or sitting on twice as many
committees as your colleagues, because the
department chair will approve of going
beyond the call of duty? The problem with
saying “Yes” for approval is that soon those
extra tasks become an expectation. When you
take on more tasks to show how indispensa-
ble you are, you eventually burn out.Intimidation.Do you say “Yes” to unrea-
sonable requests out of fear for your profes-
sional life? For example, do you do extra shifts,
postpone a planned vacation to do another set
of experiments, show up at a meeting or revise
the curriculum at two days’ notice because the
requester hints that if you don’t you will not get
a merit increase, a good letter of recommenda-
tion, or a positive recommendation for tenure?
Insecurity makes people do unnecessary things
out of fear of offending a supervisor.
Avoiding conflict.Too often people say
“Yes” to avoid conflict at all costs. They end
up being a de facto martyr, and see them-
selves as powerless to change their lives, time
management, space, or salary.
Greed.Do you agree to teach a course in
the summer rather than taking the time to do
research or write a paper, because you will
get paid extra? Do you say “Yes” to give a lec-
ture at a boring meeting, because they will
give you a large honorarium? There is noth-
ing wrong with being self-serving so long as
it is not at the expense of something more
important in the long run.
Picking up the slack.Do others take
advantage of your inability to say “No” to
dump unpopular tasks on you, such as clear-
ing out 50-year-old department files, orteaching a third introductory course so that
the department does not have to hire another
lecturer? If no one else is willing to do these
things, perhaps they are not worth doing.
Don’t be manipulated because others are
irresponsible with their deadlines. Resist the
temptation to do other peoples’ work because
they are chronically late, or do such a poor
job that they appear to be incompetent and
will not be asked again.
Guilt. If you feel guilty about having gone
on vacation, taken a sabbatical, taken
parental leave, or made a mistake, wait until
the guilt subsides before committing to any
additional responsibilities.When to Say “No”
Saying “No” is essential to achieving your
personal and professional goals. It is an indi-
cation that you value your time, energy, tal-
ents and experience, and that you control
your life. Striking a balance between enjoying
life as a cell biologist and resenting the
demands put upon you is essential to person-
al and professional empowerment.
Saying “No” can be a right or an option.
You have the right to say “No” if you have
questions about the ethics, professional stan-
dards or quality of the request. You have the
right to invoke your conscience in making
decisions. You have the option of declining
career-building duties, if the timing is wrong,
you can’t do a good job, or meet a deadline.10 CAREER ADVICE FOR LIFE SCIENTISTS
Resist the temptation to do
other peoples’ work because they
are chronically late, or do such a
poor job that they appear to be
incompetent and will not be
asked again.The problem with saying “Yes”
for approval is that soon those
extra tasks become an expectation.