On Saying No.

Answers to your queries.

Welcome to Ashnomics!

My earlier offerings titled: Life is Intriguing, Smartly Yours and podcast How to get what you want generated a debate and comments and queries tossed. And before this year ends, I should respond to them. So here I am:

The question was how one should respond if you are on the other side of the turf - like a boss and an employee. The general refrain was we mechanically say yes to everything, but saying no is difficult for different reasons.

The questions were :

(A) How one should say no when your boss -

1. gives you more or new responsibilities/tasks;

2. directs you to do more travelling; and

3. tells you to babysit your juniors?

(B) How one should say no when your reportee -

1. asks more leave;

2. seeks salary hike; and

3. wants less work?

Having worked both as an employee and a kind of boss, I would say that specific circumstances and the mission of achieving corporate goals drive decision-making in all such situations. Monitoring employee growth and identifying star performers also is a factor to reckon. My point-wise perspective, therefore, would be as follows:

A.1 Loading more or new responsibilities

If your work performance generally meets the management expectations, more or new responsibilities could be a harbinger of promotion or salary hike. In addition to your job description, these diverse or different responsibilities could assess your work approach, delivery standards, and creative decision making. Of course, you may have to initially put up with some hardship and stress. 

Before flatly refusing such a proposition, analyse the career prospects, whether your organisation is on a growth trajectory and its probably business expansion. If it is shutting down some businesses or reducing workforce expenses, probably the management is considering retaining you being a dependable resource.

A.2 More travelling 

Suppose you are in a sales, marketing or business development function but very comfy in a sedentary work environment. In that case, this enables you to gain a global perspective, learn new management or marketing practices or find new and emerging markets. A promotion or enlarging your work jurisdiction with an appropriate salary hike could be in the pipeline!

The above is true for other functional heads, including in legal. I could identify IPR violations, put together a legal team and destroy the counterfeit market leading to substantial product sales. 

A.3 Babysitting juniors

What is wrong with that? If you have put in a reasonable amount of service and have vast work experience, any employer would expect you to train your juniors or reportees to execute their tasks well. A strong team adds tremendous value to the organisation and helps improve the employee satisfaction criteria.

This whole exercise helps you display your leadership, team building and motivation skills.

Remember, when your juniors are well trained, they get pushed up the hierarchy so that you will be. An empowered team alone gets tasks done productively, leading to organisational growth.

Thus, weigh your options, learn and up the game! 

Now coming to the queries from the supervisor's prism -

B.1 Asking more leave

If those who report to you ask for leave more often: ever wondered what bugs them that they ask for more vacation, despite knowing the organisational policy on employee benefits?

There could be some stress at work or home, maybe some health or family issues from which they seek refuge. 

How if you put on a humaneness jacket, talk to them, distribute their work temporarily among other team members to ease their stress level? In 9 out of 10 cases, this would work better for you and the organisation, in general.

B.2 Seeks salary hike

An employee is generally aware of his grade and salary entitlements and the annual performance appraisal system. But often, such a demand is caused by an employee who is ignored for promotion or a routine salary hike despite consistent satisfactory work delivery leading to frustration or low morale.

The HR department works on a stringent staffing expenses budget in many organisations, leading to appraisal systems like Bell Curve or other modules where even star performers get sifted in the net. Such HR practices are a bane of all strife, employee frustration and dissatisfaction.

Try and analyse such situations, talk to your juniors, shuffle their teams, help them in their work. At the same time, hold discussions with your peers from cross-function and suggest changes in the whole process.

If, despite all efforts, the organisation refuses to budge in, give an excellent reference to your star junior and let them go. They will be better of somewhere else than at yours!

B.3 Seeking less work

Rarely you will find someone seeking less work while drawing the salary that he has been getting. Unless, of course, there is an improper distribution of work or assignments in the team.

Even if there is proper distribution, the employee probably lacks some on-the-job training or support and feels inadequate or incapable compared to his peers, precluding him from seeking guidance. But, again, some elements of stress could be the reason.

Have a re-look at your work distribution method, create a support system within the team, have an open-door policy so that your junior feels comfortable approaching you in case of need. Spend time with your team members outside your cabin or cubicle, over a coffee or a drink.

While on the topic, let me share with you a secret.

It is a myth that saying Yes to anything is easy but not saying No. Nevertheless, many trainers are grooming employees as naysayers telling them to practice saying no to anything, to anyone, for whatever. And when done, they will have a blissful life! 

If you don't believe me, go to any bookstore or google search or training rooms. They all are there.

God forbid, the emerging naysayers don't say no to promotion, salary hike or when they meet a lovely partner.

Summing up, I don't know if my perspective or tips could help you ascend Everest but certainly take you a notch up from the base camp.

So, Cheers & enjoy the holiday season!!