Agreeing on every activity is easy and can also become our default reaction. It fills our calendars with so many tasks and we are playing a losing game thereafter, making more commitments than we can keep, and leading to unfulfilled obligations. When we are overcommitting, it is leading to us get...

Many of the workplace commitment requests require immediate action, and one may not have the bandwidth to give to others. A polite way is to say yes, but do not commit to the time, saying that you are definitely interested, but would like to do that some other time.

Most situations solve t...

A straightforward NO can seem rude, and that’s probably why we avoid it. A better way is to provide a polite no, with an option or an alternative, to help them reach their goals.

Example: While emailed by a colleague to meet up for a project over a cup of coffee, one can say “Hey Thank...

If you want to help out, but for some reason are unable to, you can become a mediator and help the person in need reach out to a different person, whom you think can be a good fit for providing the solution.

Introducing someone else clears you and can be a value-adding action.

Sometimes a clear No is actually a stronger option than a weak Yes. A well-focused rejection makes you a powerful person.

One can look for engagements and clean out one’s calendar, making sure that the time is only spent on valuable, productive activities that help towards your own busine...