How To Say No

You’re a strong woman. So why is there still one person – be it a parent, partner, sibling or friend - that you just can't say no to? Here's how to put your foot down - and mean it.

There’s no doubt that women have never been better at making ourselves heard. Our voices have clout in workplaces, at home and certainly in the marketplace, where we control 64 per cent of global spending. And yet we still can’t say “no”.

The problem is “women please and men perform”, according to Heather McGregor, author of Mrs Moneypenny’s Careers Advice For Ambitious Women. In other words, women are taught – from childhood – that the needs of others are more important than their own. To say “no”, is to displease and disappoint.

Even those of us who think we have it licked usually have a refusal blind spot, and there’s often someone who knows just how to capitalise on it. So, according to the experts, the first step in learning how, when and where to put your foot down is to identify your particular area of weakness. We asked a team of authors and psychologists to give us their strategies for saying “no” and sticking to it.

How To Say No