Say No to Extra Work

11 years, 1 month ago - March 04, 2013

If your boss continually piles work on your plate, even when it’s not related to your goals, learn to say no. Pushing back can be tricky, so handle the request carefully:

Don’t commit right away. Resist the urge to say "Okay" or "No" immediately. Instead, ask about the project and request some time to think it through. Give a date when you’ll get back to her.
Prepare a response. Use your bought time to think about your answer. You want to present an alternative plan that will enable your boss to get what she wants.
Go back to your boss. Explain how the added project might jeopardize your ability to get your other projects done and meet your goals. Propose the alternative and explain why you think it will work better.

Text by Harvard Business School Publishing

We also recommend

8 Tricky Work Dilemmas (and How to Deal With Them)

Does this sound familiar? Your office has a hiring freeze and your workload triples. You show up to work one day and your boss has been let go, or your co-worker Melissa has taken credit for all of your hard work again.

10 years ago

How to Pitch a New Idea to Your Boss

You have a great idea for a new project—a marketing initiative that’s going to reach new audiences, a revamped tagline for a flagging product, or an efficient new way to organize the team's records. You’re probably feeling excited (way to innovate!) and slightly apprehensive (um, how exactly am I going to convince my boss it’s worthwhile?).

10 years ago

How to Survive at Work (When You Really Want to Go Back to Bed)

You pulled an all-nighter on your latest project. You just got over a stomach bug. You’ve got the post-holiday back-to-work blues. For whatever reason, you’re not at your best, and of all places you could be, you’re at the office.

10 years, 3 months ago

How to Deal With Time-Wasters

Entrepreneurs tend to be hyper-focused and able to make quick decisions. That makes dealing with doofuses especially challenging.

10 years, 8 months ago

Feeling Stuck? 3 Simple Steps to Shake It Off

Even the most successful leaders get stuck in their careers. Here's a surprisingly simple way to break through and achieve your goals.

10 years, 9 months ago

50 Shades of Scandal (and How to Deal With It)

Chances are someone will uncover the skeleton in your closet--even if it's tiny and insignificant. Take a page from America's new No. 2 spy on how to deal.

10 years, 10 months ago