No regrets THE YES EFFECT

Saying no too often? It might be hurting your work opportunities

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The world is telling us to stand up for ourselves, “you do you” and yes, we are encouraged to say no. But pushing back too frequently negatively impacts careers. Instead, saying yes might be the smarter decision.

The encouragement to say no is sound advice and is based on establishing healthy workplace boundaries.

Your no can be for self-preservation and is essential for freeing up time for priorities and those precious opportunities to say yes. The ability to say no creates a respectful and safe workplace, assists in avoiding burnout, elevating and empowering individuals. However, be mindful of saying no based on a false boundary.

FALSE BOUNDARIES

Positioned as a boundary, these are the reasons we provide when saying no, but they are not bona fide. When used too regularly, despite our opaque view, they are transparent to others. “I'm too busy” or, “That's not part of my job” stops being a reason and starts being a reputation.

Very few of us say no because of true boundaries. Often, our no is based on the loss aversion theory, where a real or potential loss is perceived by individuals as psychologically or emotionally more severe than an equivalent gain. For example, saying no, based on the fear of failure, discomfort, or not liking a certain task.