Don't say 'YES' ,if your answer is 'NO'

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     Service is a noble thing and providing good service to an employer can be very satisfying.But if the cost of providing it is that you do not have enough time for yourself,your family or other things important to you, then you should learn to say NO .Here you will learn this :

(A) When :-

 You need to make the critical distinction between what belongs to your employer and what belongs to you and you only. The items that follow are yours. If you don’t set boundaries around them and learn to say no to your boss, you’re giving away something with immeasurable value.

Your Health :-  It’s difficult to know when to set boundaries around your health at work because the decline is so gradual. Allowing stress to build up, losing sleep, and sitting all day without exercising all add up. Before you know it, you’re rubbing your aching back with one hand and your zombie-like eyes with the other, and you’re looking down at your newly-acquired belly. The key here is to not let things sneak up on you, and the way you do that is by keeping a consistent routine. Think about what you need to do to keep yourself healthy (taking walks during lunch, not working weekends, taking your vacations as scheduled, etc.), make a plan, and stick to it no matter what. If you don’t, you’re allowing your work to overstep its bounds.

Your Family:- It’s easy to let your family suffer for your work. Many of us do this because we see our jobs as a means of maintaining our families. We have thoughts such as “I need to make more money so that my kids can go to college debt-free.” Though these thoughts are well-intentioned, they can burden your family with the biggest debt of all—a lack of quality time with you. When you’re on your deathbed, you won’t remember how much money you made for your spouse and kids. you'll remember the memories you created with them.

Your Sanity:- While we all have our own levels of this to begin with, you on’t owe a shred of it to your employer. A job that takes even a small portion of your sanity is taking more than it’s entitled to. Your sanity is something that’s difficult for your boss to keep track of. You have to monitor it on your own and set good limits to keep yourself healthy. Often, it’s your life outside of work that keeps you sane. When you’ve already put in a good day’s (or week’s) work and your boss wants more, the most productive thing you can do is say no, then go and enjoy your friends and hobbies. This way, you return to work refreshed and de-stressed. You certainly can work extra hours if you want to, but it’s important to be able to say no to your boss when you need time away from work.

Your Identity:-While yourk is an important part of your identity, it’s dangerous to allow your work to become your whole identity. You know you’ve allowed this to go too far when you reflect on what’s important to you and work is all that (or most of what) comes to mind. Having an identity outside of work is about more than just having fun. It also helps you relieve stress, grow as a person, and avoid burnout.

Your Contacts:- While you do owe your employer your best effort, you certainly don’t owe him or her the contacts you’ve developed over the course of your career. Your contacts are products of your hard work and effort, and while you might share them with your company, they belong to you.

Your Integrity :-Sacrificing your integrity causes you to experience massive amounts of stress. Once you realize that your actions and beliefs are no longer in alignment, it’s time to make it clear to your employer that you’re not willing to do things his or her way. If that’s a problem for your boss, it might be time to part ways.

(B) HOW:-

It is a problem that people around the world face, and whatever the culture, everyone is nervous about saying no to their boss and coming across as negative and de-motivated.
Saying no is not always negative!
If you are already working more than your fair share, and genuinely care to give your best effort, there is nothing as positive and honest as saying no to back-breaking load.
If you keep quiet and bear it, you will make your boss’ job easier in the short run, but the problem will flare up eventually and the productivity and performance of you and your entire team may dip.
There are several clever, clear and polite ways to say no to your boss.


1. ‘YES, BUT…’
At certain times, it is best to be tactful, and a ‘yes, but…’ works a lot more effectively than an outright ‘no’.
Whether it is a corporate decision that involves you and your team, or a decision about your work load that your boss has made, the ‘yes’ part of your response shows that you have cared to see their point, listened and understood.
The ‘but…’ part represents that you are interested enough in pointing out the problems you see and an alternate solution.
The whole approach shows you in a very positive light, even though you are contradicting the decision.
Take, for instance, ‘sure, the new strategy will help us approach more potential customers and generate more leads, but it will leave us with less time to develop contacts and this can cost us our reputation and our successful conversion rate.’



2. DEMONSTRATE ‘MORE WORK = LESS PRODUCTIVITY’
The law of diminishing returns operates for everyone, including your boss.
You know your capacity and existing workload best, so it is you who need to tell your boss that any further work pressure will be at the expense of your productivity.
Try to use the ‘yes, but…’ tactic here too.
For instance, if your boss wants you to take on a new project and out in extra-time for it, you need to convey that the dullness this will create will not help you produce better or faster work.
Maybe you have a hobby that plays a crucial part in recharging your batteries for work, and your boss needs to know it.
Bear in mind that when you link your ‘no’ to better work and productivity, you will not come across as negative.


3. MAKE YOUR BOSS ACCOUNTABLE
If you already have a lot on your plate, make your boss take the responsibility for the extra work that is being ad to you.
Ask, for instance, ‘ok, I’ll take on this project, but I’m already working on A, B and C.
Which of these do you want me to put on low priority to make space for this new one?’ Making him accountable is a great way to indirectly say no to your boss!



4. ARE YOU SURE YOUR BOSS WANTS A ‘YES’ PERSON?
In their anxiety to always show that they are positive and productive, a lot of employees forget that bosses are not always looking for #people who will say ‘yes’ to everything.
There are a lot of bosses out there who appreciate workers who have the confidence and independence to think, take stands and critique decisions.
With such bosses, the odd ‘no’ will show you in much better light than a perpetual ‘yes’.
If you had a bad experience with a boss early on in your career, don’t judge every boss by those same parameters.
It will be a big hindrance towards your potential success.
5. ESTABLISH CLARITY AND GOOD COMMUNICATION EARLY ON
The way you start any work relationship is crucial.
If you boss knows that you are communicative and expect clarity, you will be able to establish a work relationship that is frank and honest.


6. TAKING A FIRM STAND
It is essential sometimes.
For instance if you have just got back after a pregnancy and your boss expects you to resume your demanding work load straight away, you may just have to say an outright ‘no’.
However, make sure you explain your decision clearly, so that your boss does not attribute it to de-motivation or casual behavior.
He/she must know that your decision is absolutely necessary for your health and wellbeing.
Remember, no boss is comfortable directly expecting an employee to compromise their basic well being for work.


7. COURAGE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME
There are a lot of ways to say no to your boss, but it always begins with a bit of courage.
Keep in mind that no one at a senior management position ever got there without saying no at some stage or the other.
             At the end of the day, the idea behind these ways to say no to your boss is not to shirk responsibility and evade work.Rather, it is to convey that you are a positive, motivated and thinking person with a high sense of responsibility.