Guide them to say no

Most people are afraid to say no. Maybe you don’t want to let people down. Maybe you are uncomfortable with the word no. Doesn’t matter, really. What matters is this: If you keep saying yes, you’re living someone else’s life.

Think about it. Deep down, we all know that it’...

If you want to be more effective, if you want to “get more done,” or even if you just want some breathing room in your life, you need to say no more often.

Again, every request has a cost . By sayi...

This step may sound overly deferential, but it’s a smart way to give the powerful person “psychological safety” and control.

• You can say something like, “I know we seem to be moving toward a first-quarter commitment here.

I have reasons to think that won’t work. I’d like ...