Sometimes, saying no is easier than at other times. For instance, you might not want to say no to your own manager or to a customer. Under those circumstances, you should say no but follow up your response with an alternative. For instance, in talking to a senior executive with an unrealistic deadline, you might say, “No, I can’t promise we can do the work by then, but how would it be if we completed it before the end of the week?” Equally difficult is saying no to someone with whom you want to remain on good terms—which includes your employees. You can take the sting out of the word no by giving a good reason for your reply. If you explain why you must say no, the individual will know that you are not just being difficult or uncooperative—you are refusing the request, not rejecting the individual making it.
While Michael was able to resolve his problem with Linda and Sid, I have to add that he was somewhat at fault for what happened. He gave Linda instructions about how the work should be done. He also told her when he wanted it completed. In explaining the task, he focused on what she didn’t know about the project, not what she did. He didn’t underestimate her capability and thereby suggest she lacked the capability to do the work. He showed her past reports done by her predecessor, and he explained the bigger picture—why having no typographical errors was imperative and why the document should look good as well as read well. What Michael didn’t do was to tell Linda to contact him if she ran into any problems. Further, he didn’t drop by to see how she was getting along on the assignment. He knew that the job would take several days, so he should have checked on the progress periodically. If he had done that, he would have known what had happened with Sid and would not have had to postpone the meeting with the prospective client.