The PM’s guide to Saying NO

How to decline customer requests

Photo by Gemma Evans

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As a new Product Manager, one of the hardest things for me used to be saying “No” to things. I’ve always found it extremely difficult, and after so many years, sometimes still do.

Back in the day, when I tried to reason why this is so, I generally attributed it to my Indian upbringing — where saying NO is generally considered rude and sometimes downright hostile.

But then as I traveled, studied, made friends, and worked across geographies — I realized it’s not just me. In fact, our aversion to saying and/or listening to a NO is much more a function of the normal human condition than it is of a particular geography or culture.

Why we dislike saying No?

In my observation, our aversion to saying “NO” to things stems from the same things that make us human.

• We like to be liked — ” If I say no, people might dislike me, avoid me from a group and I will make them unhappy”
• We fear authority — “How can I say no to my boss? To my customers?”
• We feel responsible- “ He / She needs help, its hard for me to say…