How to say no to people when needed

Are there times when you know that you want to say ‘no’ to someone, to disagree with a statement or to reject what you’re being asked to do? At the same time, do you feel obliged to suppress the urge to speak out your mind? If this sounds familiar, then read my blog post…

As a blogger sharing ‘tips to make your daily life easier!’… (my tagline), I’ll share with you in this post, why telling someone that you don’t agree with him/her is ok when needed and I’ll also provide some tips that I use, to show how to go about accomplishing it.

Be sure

Firstly, examine the situation to be sure that you really want/have to say ‘no’. Saying ‘no’ will put things back on track, when you’re sure of yourself. You’ll also not engage yourself needlessly in matters that you actually don’t intend to.

Be honest

Be honest with yourself. When you know that you don’t approve of what’s being said, then why give the other person the impression that you do? It’ll cause issues in the long term and may lead to further undesired results.

Be confident

With self-confidence you can take the right steps in what you want to convey to others, making the right decisions, behaving responsibly and with accountability.

Be firm but polite

Always be respectful towards the other. While you say ‘no’, do keep in control your anger and don’t hurt the other person’s feelings. Express yourself, while treating the other person in a decent manner.

Use tact

Being tactful will be beneficial in many cases, especially in professional environments. This helps to get things done while maintaining good relationships. If you’re the boss, you may prefer to be assertive instead (if that’s your management style), however, using tact could be more effective for long-term leadership results.

Suggest an alternative

When possible, do suggest an alternative to the person when expressing disagreement. This way, he/she will know that you’re being helpful, and are concerned about the matter.

Body language

Watch your body language and tone of voice! These could betray your thoughts if you’re not truly into what you’re trying to convey. Prepare yourself before saying anything to avoid any blunders. Always be truthful.

Practice mindfulness

Daily meditation helps you to take control of stress levels, anger management and make you feel emotionally better. You can thus take calculated actions with less or no regret.

Communication channels

Saying ‘no’ face-to-face is often different from the other means of communication. Keeping good eye contact with the person helps to create a sense of trust. However, when talking over the phone, try to make use of pauses and voice tone.

If you’re writing an email, then do use professional email etiquette and explain yourself in a clear language to avoid misunderstandings. Follow up with a phone call, if necessary.

Social media

Social media channels and instant messaging are so often used, that people don’t think twice before expressing themselves! Be careful when using these platforms, as chat messages are often not clear enough and may cause misunderstandings (especially when used in the context of this blog post).

Be guilt free

Once you’re sure that saying ‘no’ is the right thing to do, then go ahead, do it for the better!

Famous quotes

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” – Mark Caine

“I know what it’s like to feel that fear and the need of affirmation and appreciation. To build confidence in yourself is the toughest thing.” – Shakira

“You can disagree without being disagreeable.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Conclusion

Disagreeing with other people shouldn’t be a stress for you when you know that it’s the right thing to do. You can do that without hurting people while being constructive and perhaps even gain their support in the end! Have you any tips to share on this topic? Please do so. Thank you!!

Featured image: Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com