Illustration generated for this post
In these times, hyper-accelerated by AI, it is curious to see how one very human characteristic remains a major obstacle to improving our impact, productivity, and well-being: our reluctance to say ‘no’.
This difficulty appears in many situations: invitations to join scientific committees or editorial boards, requests to review papers or grant proposals, meetings, offers to give presentations, and so on. Very often, the answer is yes out of a genuine desire to help. At other times, it may feel like a way to climb the promotion ladder, add another line on the CV.
We all know the consequences. Most of us have, at some point, said ‘yes’ too often: stressed, overextended, constantly urgent, losing control, and running without knowing exactly where to. But we have also been on the other side. We have all encountered people who take on more than they can handle and, as a result, miss deadlines, leave emails unanswered, make poor reviews, or deliver presentations that should have received more time and care. In one side or the other, everyone pays a price.
There are many good reasons to say ‘no’.
The first reason is health. There is a limit to our capacity to help others, and that limit changes over time. Family responsibilities, health issues, teaching duties, administrative work, and many other issues all affect what we can realistically take on. We need to learn to recognise those limits and accept them.
The second reason is respect. Saying no is not only a form of self-protection, it is also a sign of respect for the person extending the invitation. When someone asks us to do something, they generally expect us to give it our best. If we know that we cannot do that, it is better to decline than to accept and become an obstacle.
The third reason is quality. At a time when promoting quality over quantity is becoming increasingly urgent, saying no is one of the most effective ways to defend our most valuable resource: time. Impact requires time to think, to reflect, and to keep up (or at least try) with technological and research advances in our fields. It is difficult to have real impact when our days are spent moving between emails, reviews, meetings, LaTeX documents, and slide presentations.
Of course, this does not mean that ‘no’ should become our default answer. We are part of scientific, professional and academic communities from which we benefit, and to which we must contribute to the best of our abilities, but no further.
Saying ‘no’ is not an escape from responsibility, it is a way of taking responsibility more seriously! Protect your health, seek impact, and respect your time and the time of others: learn to say ‘no’.