Honesty | How to say 'no' at work without making enemies

Your colleagues and manager have presented some new ideas and stratagems for the company moving forward.

Alas, they all sound terrible and you’re absolutely sure they won’t work – they didn’t in your previous company after all and the strategies just sound like diagnoses, not solutions. But how do you say 'no'? How do you approach the situation without sounding like you’re personally attacking the credibility of someone’s work?

It’s a horrific scenario that will one day face all of us at work, if it hasn’t already. The Harvard Business Review has previously analysed the psychology of it, stating that “it may be unavoidable that others will be disappointed by your response. Your goal is to ensure disappointment doesn’t escalate into insult.” You have to be cautious in your defence against negative inflations when saying ‘no’.

Ask for permission to say ‘no’