When faced with a situation where saying "no" is not an option, there are more realistic ways of getting more done.
To be available to your people, set aside "open hours" once weekly for them to drop in and cover any topic. Instead of 1-hour meetings, push them to schedule 25-minute appointments with agendas. Encourage your people to get help from each other before coming to you and begin by asking, “what have you tried already? Who have you reached out to for help? What else will you try?”
To fulfill your objectives, schedule a meeting with those that can help you get it done faster. Reach out and ask for advice from colleagues in other departments or external experts. Consult with LinkedIn contacts for fresh ideas. Ask for feedback from your team on how to do something better or differently, delegate vital tasks for your team and celebrate together when OKRs are accomplished.
When you receive a request from higher-ups, the best thing to do is to be open-minded. Ask questions to get a better understanding of the task required. Ask, “what’s the priority?” Make sure you understand what matters most and why it needs a quick response. If not urgent, negotiate for a delivery turnaround time that works with everything else you have going on. Schedule weekly check-ins with your leaders so they are in tune with the progress (make them 15-or 25-minute huddles).
When faced with the
question of "In what world?" the answer is that saying "no" is not always a viable option. As a leader in many organizations, it is not in your best interest to say "no". You need to make time for your people and fulfill your objectives.
To get more done, you can:
- Be available to your people by setting aside "open hours" once a week for them to drop in and cover any topic.
- Instead of 1-hour meetings, push them to schedule 25-minute appointments with agendas.
- Encourage your people to get help from each other before coming to you. Begin by asking, “what have you tried already? Who have you reached out to for help? What else will you try?”
- Schedule a meeting with those that can help you get it done faster.
- Reach out and ask for advice from colleagues in other departments or external experts.
- Consult with LinkedIn contacts for fresh ideas.
- Ask for feedback from your team on how to do something better or differently.
- Delegate vital tasks for your team and celebrate together when OKRs are accomplished.
When you receive a request from higher-ups, the best thing to do is to be open-minded. Ask questions to get a better understanding of the task required. Ask, “what’s the priority?” Make sure you understand what matters most and why it needs a quick response. If not urgent, negotiate for a delivery turnaround time that works with everything else you have going on. Schedule weekly check-ins with your leaders so they are in tune with the progress (make them 15-or 25-minute huddles).
Sometimes when a policy seems unfair or biased, see if it must be enforced in its current form. Could you bring a new perspective? Document any changes or exceptions made to the procedure — make it official. If you’ve spent hours trying to find a solution and nothing seems to work, bite the bullet — do it. Then, continue striving to get to the level of power in the organization or form a coalition to make the changes you wish to see.
In the end, when you are stuck in a no-win situation at work, remember that ‘No’ is not always the best answer. There are other ways to get it done to make your team and colleagues happy and feel fulfilled. Good luck!