In 2019, learn to say no.
It’s the start of a new year, and you may be searching –for a career with purpose, for more balance in your life. You’ve crafted your top goals, so how do you reach these goals? Learn how to say ‘’No.’’
No. I won’t join that conference call Friday at 10:00 PM.
No. I’m not able to write a recap of that meeting this instant.
The ability to say “no” is a global issue, not gender, culture or function. Globally we’re reluctant to say no, feeling we should do that extra work or sign on to a new project. Many of us already have too many high-priority projects on our to-do list. When another juicy project lands on the desk, do you take it, ignore, grumble, or decline it? Accepting most everything results in stress, under-performance and burnout.
Stress is a highly personalized experience. We each respond differently when work demands and pressures challenge our ability to cope. Over 50% of global employees stated an increase in job stress associated with having little control, but lots of demands (The American Institute of Stress). In Singapore, Willis Towers Watson’s 2017 Benefits Trends Survey found that nearly half (44%) of local employers identified stress as the number one health issue. In the US, burnout is estimated to be US$125 billion to US$190 billion in health-care annual spend.
We have a choice.
