Why You Need to Learn How to Say “No” In The Workplace
As a young, enthusiastic, and aspiring future leader in your public accounting firm, you probably want to say yes to everyone. After all, some of the best ways to get ahead in your career are being well liked and doing good work, and both of those things happen when you say yes when a manager asks you to do something. However, saying yes, isn't always the best option and there will be times where you will have to learn how to say no to your coworkers and bosses. Today, we are going to talk about why it's important to learn how to say “no” at your public accounting firm. Let's jump in!
Your Workload (# of Hours)
Managing your own workload and the expectations of others (clients and managers alike) is a key skill in any public accounting firm. Most firms require that you track the number of hours you are charging to engagements and most firms also have goals for the amount of hours you charge in a year. Saying yes to more work can get you those hours, but you need to be careful about taking on too much work at once. There might be some people in your office who like to brag about how much time they spent working, but working an obscene amount of hours is not the flex you think it is. For most people, Time work after the 9-hour mark is less efficient and produces a lesser quality work product. During busy seasons, it's essential to balance the amount of hours you work to ensure that your efforts are producing the best results. Don't be afraid to say no to work if you already have a full plate of work to tackle!
Your Deadlines (Urgency of Work)
On top of managing the number of hours you work, it's critically important that you also manage the timing of those hours. Every manager and client will have a different expectation for not only the amount of time something takes, but also when it will be done. Deadlines are deeply ingrained into the accounting profession, and saying yes to everything means that you may miss a deadline if you aren't careful. Many associates learn the hard way that saying yes to everyone is a very easy way to disappoint a lot of people when they need you most. For this reason, it's important to first ask your managers about any internal deadlines for the work they give you. Once you understand the deadlines, communicate those to any other managers you might be working with. The last thing you want to do is say yes to work and miss other deadlines in the process. If you're reading this blog and still learning how to say no, it's likely not your responsibility to determine competing client priorities, so say no and let the managers and partners figure it out.
Your Sanity (Work-Life Balance)
In addition to working more hours and having competing deadlines, saying yes to everything gets you a reputation. Managers and partners are happy to delegate work to competent professionals, and that dynamic can weigh on your work-life balance. Having lots of projects and obligations to do it once is certainly a mental burden that most people carry with them outside of working hours. If you're the type to say yes to everyone, you're also likely a people pleaser and will stress out about potentially disappointing anyone you've already committed yourself to. At a certain point, your work-life balance and your work product will improve when you start saying no to more work. Remember, don't say no to everything, but give yourself the time and the space you need to complete your projects without them interfering too much with your time outside of work.
Now remember, this doesn't mean say no to everything! As you work your way up in a public accounting firm, You will need to strike the balance between taking on more work and avoiding burnout. I have seen many high performers who were not able to say no leave before they could be promoted to Senior associate or manager because they were so burnt out by their own workload. Don't let that happen to you!