The downsides of saying "yes" to every request

and managing an employee who does this!

Saying “yes” to every request will: (1) cause burnout; (2) set a precedent; (3) set unrealistic expectations; (4) means you are saying “no” to potentially some other important items. Some people are worried about how they will be perceived if they say “no.” If you are the leader, your job is to reinforce and support your employees on setting boundaries.

First, you must understand WHY you or your employee is saying “yes” to every request. Why are you saying “yes”?

📌 You might feel pressured

📌 You might not feel supported

📌 You might feel it’s easier or faster to do yourself than to train someone else (eek!)

📌 You might say “yes” because you are avoiding holding someone else accountable

📌 You might be saying “yes” because that was the precedent that was set and it’s too hard to change it

📌 You might be a people pleaser

📌 You might be an action addict

Here are 7 tips and reflection items:

💡 (1) Keep track of how much you are saying “yes” to. When you receive a request, don’t say “yes” or “no” in the moment. Ask proper sorting questions (“How much of a priority is this?” “Is this more important than X & Y?”) to determine where the request falls on priorities and then say, “I want to take a careful look at what’s on my plate before I get back to you.”

💡 (2) Be realistic with how long things take. In fact, over-estimate if you can. I can’t tell you how many clients and prior bosses of mine struggled with being realistic with their time.

💡 (3) Practice saying no. Even in non-work situations. The more you practice, the more you become comfortable saying it!

💡 (4) Know the consequences / opportunity cost. If you’re saying “yes” to this, articulate what you are saying “no” to. Determine if you want to say “no” to those things. How does saying “yes” serve you? How does it not serve you? How is it helping you? How is it harming you?

💡 (5) The effect on others. How does saying “yes” affect others? Is it going to kill motivation and engagement on the team? How does it affect others on the items you’d be saying “no” to?

💡 (6) Set your boundaries, communicate those boundaries, and then hold others accountable to your boundaries.

💡 (7) If you are saying “yes” to something because you don’t feel like training, delegating, holding others accountable (or don’t know HOW to), then you need to recognize the consequences of this for yourself and others. Consider developing yourself in this area or stepping down as a people manager.

If you want more information on this or want coaching on this, reach out!

Many organizations struggle with issues like high turnover, burnout, low productivity, gossip/politics, and ineffective leadership. Amber offers an easy-to-start streamlined solution through one-on-one leadership coaching, administering & debriefing Hogan assessments, dynamic leadership workshops, and personalized strategic guidance. The result? Reduced turnover, improved productivity and innovation, and a strategic and thriving workplace. Ready to discover how coaching can benefit your organization?

The downsides of saying "yes" to every request

and managing an employee who does this!

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