Find the Courage to Say No

In a world where the concept of endless possibility is pushed on us at every turn, it’s easy to find ourselves making wrong choices in the name of ‘yes culture’. We’re encouraged to welcome every opportunity that comes our way if we want to grow. But, sometimes, stepping through a less-than-desirable door for the sake of ‘saying yes’ can lead us on a detour from our goals.

Especially in times of difficulty within business, it’s easy to say yes to the wrong things. Whether this is taking extra responsibility upon yourself or accepting a new client as a loss leader, we’ve all been there. Doing anything to make ends meet is a challenge that is sometimes unavoidable, but are you doing more harm to your company in the long run by refusing to say no?

Saying no will benefit both your company’s health and your position as a leader.

Saying no to potential clients

Knowing when to turn down new business is one of the most important skills you can have as a leader, and here’s why:

1. Focus on the right clients

You may often find yourself presented with a business opportunity in the form of a demanding client; the high-risk, high-reward type. Whilst you know that they’re going to require a lot of work (and most likely a lot of stress), there’s a lucrative pay-out at the other end. By the time you’ve completed the work, you say to yourself that the client was more hassle than they were worth, and you’re absolutely right.

Taking on clients that aren’t right for your business drains your time and energy away from existing, good clients. There will always be new opportunities, and you want to make sure you’re not saturated when a good one comes knocking.

2. Maintain good talent

A talented team is hard to come by these days. Accepting business that isn’t in line with your company’s mission can cause good employees to leave. You may struggle to keep up with a demanding workload, stressing out existing employees and being forced to hire underqualified ones to pick up the slack. This can leave a good team feeling undervalued, which may lead to resignations.

Saying no within your company

Sometimes, as Executives, we need to find the courage to say no to our own team.

1. Delegation is important in leadership

Saying no to certain tasks that might appear on your desk is a way to ensure you have capacity to focus on the big picture. By delegating such tasks to someone else in your team, you are granting them a level of autonomy that will help build trust.

2. Stick to goal pathways

When you’ve devised a plan to achieve a certain goal, saying yes to unnecessary diversions can delay your success. Finding the courage to say no when you identify tasks that might lead you away from your goal pathway will encourage both you and your team to stay on track.

3. Personal wellbeing

You can’t be an effective leader if you’re burnt out. Saying no allows you to set boundaries between your work and personal life, ensuring you have a healthy balance. Take some time to define what success in life (not just in business) looks like to you and say no to anything that doesn’t build toward this.

Do you have an idea for a future blog or would like to share your thoughts on any particular topic?

It would be great to hear from you.

Take care, all the best.

Gary

Gary Pike, Founder & MD Right International

Tel: +441932 800222 Email: garypike@rightinternational.com

Right International is a market leading recruitment firm who specialise in sourcing the top talent across the claims and wider insurance market.