Episode transcript The transcript is generated automatically by Podscribe, Sonix, Otter and other electronic transcription services.
Hello everyone, here is Ricardo Vargas. This is the 5 Minutes Podcast, and today I want to talk about a challenge that I personally struggle with. And I'm pretty sure that many of you listening to this episode will do too. It's the art of saying “no”. Say no is one of the hardest skills to master, but it's at the same time one of the most essential in project management, because we are trained to deliver, to help, and to solve problems. So, when someone comes with a request, maybe a sponsor, maybe a colleague, maybe a client, everything inside us wants to say a big yes, but every yes we give without thinking is an automatic no to something more important. It could be the original scope, it could be the schedule, it could be the quality, or even your team's well-being. And I have been there; in projects we're trying to please everyone, I kept saying yes to small requests. One more report, one extra feature, one meeting that should have been an e-mail, and by the end, the project became a patchwork, hard to manage, and a Wi-Fi-burnt-out team. People were mad, people were very sad, and with very low motivation. That is when I learned that saying no is an act of leadership. It's a way of protecting the project’s integrity. And I'm not talking about being inflexible, please don't think about that. I'm talking about having clear criteria to accept or reject new demands, and what I learned I learned three simple questions that I use all the time. The first question I ask: Does this request align with the strategic objective of my project? Second: do I have time, budget, and team members to do it? Third, does it add measurable value to the client? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the best choice is usually to decline respectfully and firmly. Another technique that I always use. It's like no, but yes. So, it's a very interesting approach because you're not saying no, you're putting conditions to turn no into yes. For example, we can't include this right now without affecting the deadline. But we can revisit next sprint or, for example, yes, we can do it if we adjust the original scope or extend the schedule. And one thing I have learned, your tone matters a lot, saying no with respect supported by data and transparency will actually strengthen your relationship, and not make it weaker. Let me share a real example with you. One time I was asked to add a brand-new integration 2 weeks before Go Live, and instead of just saying no, we should think back two more weeks and 15% of the cost increase. What happened? He decided to withdraw the request and thanked us for being so clear, because at that time, he had two options. OK, do not go forward with the brand-new integration or two, two more weeks, extend this deadline to two more weeks, and increase the budget by 15%. So, is there a trade-off? So, this was a perfect example of a true example. And of course, when we said that, we said this in the politest and very clear way, and said, Look, we have these two options, it's up to you to decide and say 'no', like this one will also protect your team. Remember, people notice when you have their back, they understand that your focus is on delivering value and not just saying “yes” to absolutely everything. So here is my challenge for you this week. What is a yes you gave recently that maybe you should become a no in your next project? And sometimes saying no with confidence is exactly what will ensure the success of your project. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and see you next week with another 5 Minutes Podcast.
