How To Politely Say “No” At Work

Saying “no” at work isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a people pleaser. But sometimes, we must decline, whether it’s thanks to a full workload, a lack of resources, or because a task is simply unfeasible.

But just as learning to say “no” can be a challenge, learning the right way to say “no” is just as laborious. Coming off too strongly will hurt your interpersonal relationships while being unclear will make others uncertain you actually declined something. Learn to take charge and clearly but politely say “no” by adhering to these reminders.

““No, that idea sucks,” is quite different from, “No, I’d like to take a different approach.”” –Sara McCord, The Muse

Listen first

Even if you know right away you aren’t going to be able to help someone, make sure not to rudely interrupt with a dismissive “no.” Your respect for your boundaries is good, but you can decline in the right way after listening to what someone needs.

The Muse’s Sara McCord says that even when you know an idea is unfeasible or unpopular to let whoever is asking for help finish speaking before going further. The speaker may think you just don’t get it or think you’re being rude if you cut them off early. By listening to their full explanation, you can pick up on their needs. Even if you can’t meet those needs, you might be able to point them in a helpful direction while still respecting your boundaries.

Stay polite

If someone asks you for something and you respond with a quick “nah” it won’t be well received. Especially if your boss is the one asking you. There’s a balance to be struck with being clear but not being a jerk about it.

Asana’s Alicia Raeburn suggests starting by leading with something positive. Don’t go straight to the “no”—open up with a “Thank you” or “You’re so good at thinking of these opportunities” to let the asker know you appreciate them coming to you. You may have been the first person they asked because they trust you or you’re particularly skilled with something. Even if you can’t help this time, being polite about your decline will keep the interpersonal respect alive.

Offering to help in the future is another way to politely respond without shutting someone down. Maybe the timing is just bad right now or maybe you have too much on your plate. If they feel they can ask you again in the future, they’ll take that “no” even more positively.

“Unfortunately, I have too much to do today. I can help you another time.” –Indeed

Be honest

If you really don’t want to do something, a common first instinct is to make up an excuse of sorts. It might feel like without a great reason, your “no” will be poorly received. But honesty is the best policy.

Forbes’ Ashira Prossack reminds us that being honest doesn’t mean explaining every single detail, however. If you have a task or appointment that would conflict with helping someone, you can just say you have a conflict and give a brief explanation. While you might feel bad declining to help someone, you also don’t owe them every single detail. In fact, the more details you provide, the more it may seem like you’re making up an excuse.

Be clear and firm

While the above tips are good for framing your rejection, make sure at some point you actually include the word “no.” Your response might otherwise seem so polite and professional that it seems like you’re agreeing despite your other commitments.

Indeed says to be consistent and firm with your “nos.” If you open with “no but eventually change your mind, people will think they can always get you to do what they want by constantly asking. Staying firm on your “no,” especially by doing it politely, will help the “no” stick.

Clockify’s Dunja Jovanovic says that you can reinforce your “no” assertively by combining it with the right body language. Shaking your head, crossing your arms, and sitting back are all signs of dismissal. If your words are polite but your tone and stance is firm, the asker will get the message without you coming across rudely.

Practice

For some of us, the idea of saying “no” in general is difficult enough. When we’re put on the spot and don’t want to disappoint someone, it’s easy to default to saying “yes,” even when it’s the wrong call. By keeping the above points in mind and practicing, however, we can stop ourselves from auto-agreeing.

“Sometimes when we are blindsided, things come out the wrong way. Therefore, practicing how to say “no” will prepare you for those times that your bandwidth is stretched to its max.” –Fellow

Wrap up

Saying “no” when needed will prevent burnout while setting healthy boundaries. The key to declining someone at work is to do it in the right way. Rethink that saying “no” means in the first place. It isn’t an attack on the person asking. You’ll often have good reasons to say “no,” and someone else may be able to help. Politely getting through the “no” is much easier if you hear the other person out and kindly but firmly explain why you can’t help.

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Making Small Talk Before And During An Interview

Small talk gets a bad rap in modern times, but knowing how to engage in pleasant small talk is an extremely valuable interview skill. While you still need to have deeper answers ready to provide value, being able to excel with small talk builds a rapport with your interviewer and helps you stand out.

Standing out in an interview can be tough, but making an impression with small talk and finding a connection is a great way to stay relevant. Remember, an interviewer is investigating your personality to see if you’re a good cultural fit. Learn how to make a last impression by following these small talk strategies!

“Interviews are also pretty anxiety-inducing, so starting off with a little small talk beforehand is in everyone’s best interest.”-Maddie Lloyd, Zippia

Avoid cliches

Part of the reason small talk is often viewed with disdain is that boring topics often get repeated. Small talk doesn’t have to be deep, but it needs to have at least a bit of substance. Recall that you’re trying to stand out. Saying “Boy, how about the fact that weather exists?” isn’t going to help your case.

“I can’t imagine many hiring managers vouching for a candidate by saying, “Hey, how about the guy that complained about how rainy it’s been? I thought he was great!” –Kat Boogaard

Instead, LinkedIn’s Caroline Ceniza-Levine says to focus on topics like any hobbies you might have, any books you’re reading (a great way to show you’re into personal development), or discussing industry news. These topics are light, playful and show some insight into who you are beyond your resume.

Avoid inappropriate topics

You want to stand out in these windows of small talk, but you want to stand out for a good reason. While it’s good to be casual with your small talk, make sure you aren’t too casual or inappropriate with your chosen topics.

Top Interview’s Felicia Tatum lists the classics like religion, politics, and overly personal questions as things to avoid—even if you’ve researched the interviewer and know their stances. Also avoid being flirty, mentioning money, family topics, or bad-mouthing anyone.

Find a common interest

Your goal with small talk is to find common ground to build a solid foundation with your interviewer and stand out when it comes time to choose a candidate. One of the best ways to start is by researching your interviewer and looking for any common ground on their socials.

You don’t need to be digging through someone’s trash looking for deep clues. A simple quick search may provide you with some safe, surface-level interests. Even looking around their office can provide some easy clues.

The Muse’s Kat Boogaard lists someone running a marathon as an example. If you find evidence they’ve partaken in one, you might casually mention you’re a runner and had a nice run earlier in the day. You don’t need to awkwardly shoehorn the common interest in, you can casually bring something up when asked “How are you?” and see if they take the bait.

“For instance, you discovered in your research that you both like cooking. You may respond, “It was great! I took a cooking class at the <insert name of school> and learned the right technique for perfecting my Japanese souffle cheesecake.” –Lea C, Career Higher

Ask questions and be a good listener

The name small talk leaves out one of its most important aspects—listening! If you’re seeking common ground, you can’t just talk someone’s ear off. You need to ask questions and carefully listen to the responses.

Small talk can be awkward, but asking a question to fill the silence is a great way to both get new information and keep the conversation flowing. Kat Boogaard says that not only will this take the spotlight off of you but it will give the interviewer, who is likely asking you a lot of questions, a bit of a breather.

Forbes’ Jack Kelly says to practice active listening during these exchanges. Nod your head and react to what they say, use their name often, and let them be your center of attention. Keep your questions open-ended to allow the dialogue to flow.

Be enthusiastic

Above all else, be authentic in your conversation attempts. Making a connection isn’t only valuable to the organization, but to you as well. If all goes well, this will be someone you’ll work with often in the future. Make sure you enjoy the environment and interacting with this person.

It’s generally easy to tell when someone is forcing conversation or if they aren’t interested in what you’re talking about. That’s why practicing active listening is so important. Even if you find the process daunting, with practice and a little extra effort, you’ll find yourself communicating with enthusiasm.

Wrap up

Small talk can be intimidating, especially when you don’t know the person. But learning how to engage with an interviewer and create a connection will be dividends in the long run. Stay relaxed and follow our strategies and you’ll create a natural conversation!

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Recapping Our Top Five “Athletes And Business” Articles

At NexGoal, we specialize in matching organizations with top-tier talent with a focus on former athletes and those with the athlete’s mindset. While our history working with and being founded by former athletes may make us biased, we’ve found time and time again that ex-athletes and those with the athletic mindset tend to exceed in the business world thanks to their highly-sought after skills.

But you don’t have to be an athlete to have these crucial skills, and those who have never played a sport can still learn valuable career lessons from their favorite teams and athletes. Over the years, we’ve looked at what makes former athletes so successful in business and found insightful takeaways from the biggest sporting events in the world. For your enjoyment, we’ve compiled five of our favorite articles comparing the sports world and the business world.

Why Should You Hire Former Athletes?

While our history working with and being founded by former athletes may make us biased, the experts agree that you can’t go wrong filling your company with ex-athletes. Studies show that former athletes may make 5-15% more than their peers. Meanwhile, Japanese companies are heavily turning to retired athletes in order to achieve competent workers. Many hiring managers and CEOs like ASM Sports Groups’ Christopher Vidal have found former athletes to be some of their best candidates.

The traits that allow athletes to succeed at their chosen sport translate seamlessly to the business world. Even those who didn’t play organized sports can still embody the traits of a successful athlete—this is what we refer to as the “athlete mindset.” If you’re seeking to fill your organization with quality talent, you can’t go wrong with hiring someone with the athlete mindset thanks to these virtues.

Learn From The NFL Draft And Recruit Like The Pros

This is an exciting week in the world of sports as the 2022 NFL Draft begins. For those who don’t follow the sport, during the National Football League’s annual draft, the 32 teams recruit former college football players through an arranged system over the course of seven rounds.

The draft is the best way for teams to bring in new talent, and the process of talent evaluation is extensive. Each pick is a risk, as you’ll never have a complete picture of a prospect’s ceilings, and the fit with the right team can change everything.

In that way, business recruiting is similar. Recruiters must hire who they believe the best candidate is based on the information they have, and they can’t ignore their gut feelings. If your organization wants to recruit like the pros, you need to approach the process like the pros. Embrace these NFL Draft principles for your next hiring cycle.

Career Lessons From The 2022 World Cup

The World Cup is the largest global event in the sporting world, and every four years, millions watch to see how their country fares against the best competition on the planet. Argentina, led by the legendary Lionel Messi, took the FIFA World Cup Trophy home this year.

Argentina showed how to excel on the world’s biggest stage, but you don’t need to be a pro athlete to find some valuable takeaways for your own career. If you’re looking to achieve new career goals, take these lessons from the pros and become a champion in your chosen field!

Career Lessons From The 2023 Masters Tournament

The beginning of spring not only means warm weather is finally arriving but also one of the most exciting events in professional sports—the Masters Tournament.

One of the four major events in professional golf, the Masters is an iconic tournament where legends are made at the iconic Augusta National Golf Club. Each individual storyline at the Masters is fascinating in its own way, and we can take many lessons from the pros for our own life. If you’re looking to advance your career, take these cues from golf’s most iconic event!

Career Lessons From The 2023 Stanley Cup Finals

With the Vegas Golden Knights defeating the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals, the 2023 NHL season has reached its end. As exhilarating as watching hockey can be, if we take a closer look, we can find some valuable lessons for our own lives.

“Playoffs are like a quarter-long sales battle, minus the injuries.” -Kevin Dahl, NexGoal CEO and former NHL player

Two teams of committed team members working toward an ultimate goal is always something we can learn from, even if we aren’t athletes ourselves. Here are valuable career lessons those of us not on the ice can learn from hockey’s ultimate games.

Wrap up

We hope these articles can highlight why we believe so strongly in former athletes and those that embody the athlete’s mindset. You don’t need to be a pro athlete to learn valuable business insights from the sporting world’s biggest stars, and we hope these pieces can assist in your own career. Expect to see even more parallels between athletics and business in the future, and please don’t hesitate to share your own experiences or observations with us!

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Career Lessons From The 2023 Stanley Cup

With the Vegas Golden Knights defeating the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals, the 2023 NHL season has reached its end. As exhilarating as watching hockey can be, if we take a closer look, we can find some valuable lessons for our own lives.

“Playoffs are like a quarter-long sales battle, minus the injuries.” -Kevin Dahl, NexGoal CEO and former NHL player

Two teams of committed team members working toward an ultimate goal is always something we can learn from, even if we aren’t athletes ourselves. Here are valuable career lessons those of us not on the ice can learn from hockey’s ultimate games.

Play like the Cup is in the house

The physical Stanley Cup isn’t present at every game of the Finals. The iconic trophy is only “in the house” when a team has a chance to win (by winning three other games). Having the trophy in the house is a powerful reminder of what teams have been fighting for all season and can make the favored team play harder, but it isn’t a necessity.

Successful teams never forget what they are working toward, which is something we can all appreciate. Learn how to visualize success for your team and remember your ultimate goals. By turning your goals from something abstract to something tangible and achievable, you’ll fight harder to make them a reality.

Don’t be afraid to swing big

It’s good to find a realistic and sustainable way to win, but sometimes the process needs a kick in the rear, and all organizations must take a big swing. The Athletic’s Sean McIndoe highlights the Panthers’ blockbuster trade for Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk as a big key to their success this season. Florida was aggressive in pursuing this trade, barreling through with a massive offer that many thought might be an overpay. But the results spoke for themselves.

While moves like this can put pressure on you, when you’re shooting for success, you must take risks. Whether that means trying to break into a new industry, embracing a new sales strategy, applying for a leadership role, or hiring a promising candidate that doesn’t quite check all of the boxes, we have the potential to make career-altering decisions more often than we think.

“Carolina heavily invested in analytics and thinking about the game in a non-traditional manner for about a decade running now. You are seeing the fruits of those labors.” –John Fischer on 2023 playoff lessons

It takes hard work all year

You don’t get to be one of the final teams in a sport by coincidence or by just doing pretty well late in the season. Even when games aren’t currently being played, owners and general managers are making moves, coaches are watching film and coming up with new strategies, and players are training to be the best versions of themselves.

Vegas missed the playoffs last season but refused to admit defeat. They responded by looking for every big name player that could help their team get back to the postseason. They succeeded, landing a good amount of players, even if they had to make some challenging decisions to deal with the cap space.

Meanwhile, in your career, you need to take a big-picture approach. What will it take for you to achieve your ultimate goals, and how can you work on them today?

“The ups and downs of a post-season resemble business, what these guys endure will prepare them for anything.” -Kevin Dahl

Never count yourself out

Sometimes in a best-of-seven series, finals come down to the final game, with each team having a hot streak. Sometimes, a team takes the lead early and never looks back. In either case, the losing team doesn’t just roll over and lose. They’ll fight until the final buzzer.

The Panthers found themselves in this situation down 1-3 heading into Game 5, a potential end to the series. But as the great Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning is not everything – but making the effort to win is.” The Panthers fought hard to keep their season alive, and even though they fell short of the Cup, they fought admirably to the end. This type of resilience is the key to success in any area.

We view hockey players as tough and gritty, and many will play through battered bodies to achieve their goals. We don’t need to go that far, and we never want to sacrifice physical or mental well-being for the sake of work, but it’s vital to learn how to become resilient at work. Not only is resilience one of the most sought-after skills by employers but it will help us cope with the struggles we’ll face on the way to achieve our goals. Keep trying, and don’t be afraid to change your approach.

Wrap up

Hockey players have a reputation as some of the grittiest, toughest players out there, but that’s not all the sport represents. Team building and training are year-long, thoughtful processes, and even those of us in positions with seemingly little in common with professional hockey can learn from their approach. Keep these career lessons in mind and you’ll be a champion off of the ice!

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Avoid These Virtual Meeting Mistakes

Virtual interviews and meetings were becoming more common even before the pandemic but are now a common part of life, especially if you work remotely. Zoom and its sister programs make working and collaborating from a long distance easy.

While most of us have adjusted to the quirks of virtual meeting technology, there are still common mistakes to avoid! Whether you’re prepping for a virtual interview or just getting ready for your next Zoom meeting, do a little self-scouting to make sure you’re avoiding these common blunders.

Your camera is off

It’s important to be visible in online meetings, and oftentimes that means showing yourself on camera. While it may not always be mandatory, it’s generally good etiquette to have your camera on if everyone else does.

Liv McConnell says that the expectation nowadays is to have your camera on in order to create a sense of community and continuity, especially if your team only meets online. This extra step can go a long way toward building a good rapport with your team.

“This makes you invisible, and that’s not a good look if you seek to impact, influence and impress. Plus, people in the meeting think you’re hiding something—or worse, goofing off.” –William Arruda

You aren’t making eye contact

With your camera on, your team can see your face. With that in mind, you’ll want to make sure you’re providing good body language cues like maintaining eye contact.

According to LinkedIn’s Hank Boyer, participants look at faces two-and-a-half times more in virtual meetings compared to in-person meetings. There isn’t much else to look at on the screen, This means you need to be even more aware of how you’re presenting yourself. Make sure your face is properly framed in your webcam and that you’re able to make eye contact.

Indeed also says to make sure not to appear distracted. If you have wandering eyes, it’s a clue that something on the other end might be distracting you. Consider setting up a “do not disturb” setting on your devices and make sure your eyes aren’t darting toward your phone.

Distractions are abundant

Minimizing distractions in general is good etiquette for your meeting. While working remotely offers additional freedom, it’s important to treat your coworkers with respect. Keep any pets or family members out of the room, put your devices on “do not disturb mode,” and focus on the meeting.

Alison DeNisco Rayome says that you never want to be the obnoxious person on the call that forgot to mute their microphone. If your coworkers can hear you typing, making food, or dealing with other problems, you’ll be disrespecting whoever is speaking and creating additional distractions.

Your background is distracting

Going even further, you’ll want to make sure you don’t offer any additional distractions on screen when the camera shifts your way. Finding the right, neutral background is crucial.

If the room you’re working in is messy, it will be very distracting and shift focus away from you. We’re all human and often need to put messes aside to work on other things, but if you know you have a meeting, take the time to make sure the room is clean.

Or, better yet, find a neutral backdrop behind you, whether a virtual option or some sort of backdrop directly behind you, writes Amanda Augustine. Sitting in front of a blank wall, a bookcase, a door, or some sort of curtain creates a neutral backdrop and lets your face and your words be the focus.

While not always appropriate, sometimes a virtual background can hide a messy room or create an air of professionalism. Just make sure it’s an appropriate one. A background where you’re on Mars or in the bleachers of Lambeau Field is probably distracting, even though it would be pretty neat.

Your screen is messy

Even if your room is clean and you have an inoffensive background, you may need to share your screen. You’ll want to make sure your computer is just as clean as your background.

At the bare minimum, Kenneth Terrell says to get rid of any distracting tabs or open programs. Your team doesn’t need to see your fantasy football team, or perhaps something not safe for work. Likewise, keep your desktop clear of any inappropriate files or of having too many cluttered on the screen.

“Play it safe by closing all windows and applications on your laptop and muting any default notifications on all nearby devices so your interview is uninterrupted by random pings or inappropriate ads popping up on open tabs.” – Amanda Augustine

Finally, Forbes’ William Arruda says to make sure that what you’re sharing can actually be read by human eyes. Create any items meant to be shared in a font big enough to be read and don’t overload the reader will too many words.

Wrap up

Even if you use virtual meeting apps daily, it can still be easy to fall for one of these classic blunders. Make time to brush up on your meeting etiquette and clear your screen (and workspace) of any distracting elements. Then, you’ll be ready to attack your next virtual conversation with a renewed sense of clarity.

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