When was the last time you said, "no" to a client or superior? It's not an easy thing to do but sometimes it's absolutely essential. We're often a victim of our own success and our clients and superiors think we can do it all. Sometimes we even encourage that attitude because it boosts our own ego. But in doing so, we're sowing the seeds of failure.
No matter how good you are, you can't do it all well all the time. Pretending otherwise raises the expectations of your client or superior that you do anything. When you fail, you can totally destroy your credibility.
I once found myself at a community meeting that was extremely upset with a local utility provider because of a recent release of hazardous materials. This particular community formed the core of the my mayor's constituency and was politically very important. They demanded that the City provide certain services that I knew we could not do. I took a deep breath and told them, "no."
You could have heard a pin drop. No one had ever dared to refuse their demands.
Then I told them why we couldn't do it. They presented a second alternative which I also felt could not be done. I could feel the tension in the room and started mentally revising my resume. Fortunately, the third option they offered was something that I could do. I committed to it and gave them a date when it would be done. Believe me, I made sure it was done.
What was amazing to me was what happened afterwards. My credibility in the community soared and I was viewed as one of the few in government that would give them honest answers. I had no trouble engaging them in future projects.
While there's no doubt that there was a bit of luck on my side, the lesson from that meeting has served me in good stead over the years. I believe that managing expectations by being honest about your capacity is the only ethical thing to do. This is the reason I sometimes turn down projects - I am realistic about what I can and can't do.
So give it a try - it's scary the first few times but, in the long run, you actually increase your credibility.
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