The Power of Saying “NO”
Will ThomsonMay 24, 2015
In life and in business we are always wanting to please people. Unless you are 100% satisfied with who you are and what you are doing in life, we are always wanting more. There does become a point in our lives where we have achieved what we wanted to achieve and we don’t want to go back to what we once did in our careers.
There are times when we say “Yes” when we really want to say “No” and there are times when we want to say “No” but we say “Yes” anyway. Careers are funny. I have worked for many Fortune 500 organizations and I am now an entrepreneur. I enjoy being able to say “No” more often now. What I have found is I have to be careful when I say “No”, but I have also found if I don’t say “No” I will end up spinning my wheels and ultimately get nothing done.
It is up to me which projects I want to work on. It is up to me which people I want to work with. It is up to me which individuals I choose to associate with. I can say “No”. This has not always been my option. When you are looking for a job it is flattering to feel wanted. It is flattering to be offered a role that has a ton of potential.
Lately, I have been working with a number of candidates who are eager for their next role. They are unhappy with their current employment situation and are ready for a change. They are interested in a career. They are interested in potential future roles within a company. They aren’t particularly interested in the role that is available for them today.
There are times in my life where I have taken a job, because I needed “A job”. I didn’t have the option to say “No”. These “Band-Aid” jobs are okay at some points in our career. You may be a consultant for a while. You may be a contractor. You may take a job that is less than what you would normally take.
It is 2015 now and the economy is pretty darn good. It is better than it has been in years. If you need a job and a “Band-Aid” job is the only option, I urge you to take it. If you have some options though and you are employed, I suggest you say “No” to some job offers that are going to come at you this year.
Think about what I said in the first paragraph. You don’t have to go back and do what you once did in your career. Don’t take an inside sales job if you are an outside sales person for the potential you may move up into an outside role in a year. The fact is, they are hiring you to be an INSIDE sales person, not an outside sales person. Take the job that fits your skill set TODAY not for a role that it may potentially be in the FUTURE.
As someone who has written for just about every recruiting publication, I have the power to say “No” to additional assignments. I really have to figure the return on the investment. If you are getting asked to do things that you are good at and it doesn’t benefit you or your family and takes away happiness, I urge you to say “No” to things also.
This week, think about what you are asked to do. If you get a call from a recruiter and they are trying to tell you about a job that doesn’t fit exactly what you want to do, say “No”. In the long run, it will benefit everyone. You don’t have to say “Yes” all of the time. You will end up disappointing more than helping.
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