Juggling Plates: How to Say No

It’s human nature for many people to not be overly concerned with others’ problems. The person you’re dealing with isn’t worried about whether something is bad for you; they have their own challenges to consider. What if the best way to say no is flipping the script and not explaining why it’s bad for you, but instead carefully and honestly explaining why the other person’s request will create undesirable outcomes for them?

Eighteen months into a global pandemic, many of us feel like circus performers, juggling plates at work and at home. And with so many businesses wrestling with broken supply chains and tight labor markets, relief is coming slower than we need.

By Robert Glazer