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How do designers say no without saying no
when saying yes is not really the option
In my previous article about online meetings, I pointed out several struggles of doing endless online meetings and how I ended up have so little time to do my work as a designer. One of the feedback that I got from my superior is “you need to say no more often.”
I thought, how? I mean, how are we supposed to reject work, invitations, project brief, or even meeting invitations by saying no? More than that, how do we say no and still earn our colleague’s respect? I always thought that saying no means that you are not strong enough or not up to more challenges. But at some point in life, saying no can also mean otherwise.
There are a thousand different ways of saying no, but I believe many designers are struggling to say “no”, even if they don’t want to say yes. But being a yes man does not always advantage you and your work as designers. Saying yes all the time can make you less dependable to think critically, less assertive, and eventually hide your true potential as designers, especially when collaborating with other functions.
During my career, I learn that saying no does not always mean rejection. “No” can also mean “wait, I have any other ideas”, or “I have better proposals”…
