I like to say “yes” to most things (like most people, I think). It’s often why I end up with way too many things on my plate, from work to hobbies to events. It is more fun to say yes. Saying yes avoids the difficulty of rejecting an offer or feeling like you’re letting someone down.
As a dad, I love to say yes. This, of course, is a problem when we go places like the toy store or the candy store. Another stuffed animal? Sure. A box of candy as big as a suitcase? More for all of us.
But I know that no one needs that much candy and it’s important to learn that not every trip to the store means my kids will get something.
So, like most parents, my wife and I deploy several tactics to say “no” without simply saying no.
We may start by asking our kids why they want a particular toy. As we dive deeper, we may help them uncover if they are really interested or just interested in the moment. If it’s the former, we may ask them if it’s something for their birthday or Christmas list. And then we can prioritize that list later.
If it’s candy, I’d probably be the first to agree (I’ve got a sweet tooth for sure). So I can easily empathize that the chocolate ball as big as your face sounds awesome. But would they prefer that over dessert at dinner later? Or would they be able to save it since they’ve already had a treat that day?
None of this is bulletproof, but we can prioritize, add to lists for later, and make tradeoffs. Which means they are all helpful.
So how can we apply some of this same logic to our work as product managers?
How to say no as a product manager
Help Prioritize
If you’re like me, you receive more requests for your products than you’ll ever be able to accomplish. From big features to small enhancements. And they are generally all good ideas.
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