Deep Dive Series: The Power of No Utilizing Silence
By Tana M. Mann Easton, Lead Efficiency Engineer
Sometimes you say no best when you say nothing at all.
I used to work in the financial industry, and I received many emails every day. I’m a believer in taking time away from your email to focus on getting more high priority tasks done. During these 20-60 minute departures from my email inbox, I would from time to time receive an emailed request and then 5 minutes later receive another email from the requester telling me to disregard their previous message because they figured it out. Because I stepped away from my inbox and wasn’t immediately and easily available, the asker would sometimes put their thinking cap on and find their own answers.
I also use silence as a no when I receive unsolicited business emails. Because my professional email address is easy to find, I receive a fair amount of unsolicited business emails. If I don’t know the person sending the communication and I have no interest in whatever they’re trying to sell, I just delete the message. There’s no need to interact with every solicitation that comes your way unless you want to.
You can also use silence to your advantage when receiving face-to-face requests. Take advantage of an awkward pause. Count to five after an ask and see if the asker takes their request back. Deliver your verdict if they persist. If you’re extremely bold, don’t answer at all and see what happens. I personally don’t know that I’m brave enough to employ silence as a no when speaking directly to another person unless they ask for something that is really rude and the answer is absolutely not. But silence is an option, and some utilize it as a no. It’s another tool in your belt.
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Sincerely Yours,
Focus to Evolve Team