1Youssef Learns to Say “No”

Youssef found it very hard to say “no”. He often found himself buried in projects and tasks he had neither time nor desire for, simply because he didn’t want to let anyone down.

Over time he came to see the importance of priorities and clear boundaries. He learned to say “no” kindly and firmly at once, so he could give himself to what truly mattered.

“Thank you both. Let’s meet tomorrow after we’ve reviewed our options.”

Youssef was a project manager at his company. In one meeting his colleague Majid enthusiastically proposed launching a new product: “I’ve researched it, and this product will be a huge success.”

Softening. Youssef said, “I appreciate the effort you’ve put in, Majid, but I’d rather we look into it further before adding it.”

Affirming and explaining. When Majid looked surprised, he said, “I understand the high expectations, but we need to be sure it meets our quality standards.”

The sandwich. When Majid said other companies had succeeded with a similar product, he answered, “I appreciate your enthusiasm for new ideas, but we aim for distinctive products, and I’m sure you have other innovative ideas.”

Mutual validation. Majid suggested testing the product in the market, and Youssef nodded: “I see your point and its value; let’s look at how we could apply it.”

The broken record. When Majid returned to the same argument, Youssef said calmly, “I understand your point, Majid, but we always aim for excellence.”

Exploring. Then he asked, “Is there another experience that makes you lean toward this product?” Majid said his previous company had launched something similar with remarkable results.

Postponing. When their colleague Tariq stepped in to back Majid strongly, Youssef sensed the discussion was about to heat up, and said, “Thank you both. Let’s meet tomorrow after we’ve reviewed our options.”

The next day, after some thought, Youssef proposed a middle ground that combined Majid’s enthusiasm with his own concern for quality: test the product in the market before an official launch. Everyone was satisfied.