名稱：92 The Wisdom of Saying “no”
內容簡介：
晨讀英語美文 真題閱讀
[00:02.90]How good are you at saying “no”?
[00:03.57] For many, it's surprisingly difficult.
[00:08.34] This is especially true of editors,
[00:11.48]who by nature tend to be eager
[00:14.11]and engaged participants in everything they do.
[00:17.14] Consider these scenarios:
[00:19.13]It's late in the day. That front-page package
[00:22.56] you've been working on is nearly complete;
[00:25.33]one last edit and it's finished.
[00:28.40]Enter the executive editor,
[00:32.56] who makes a suggestion requiring a
[00:33.82]more-than-modest rearrangement of the design
[00:36.40]and the addition of an information box.
[00:38.44] You want to scream: “No! It's done!”
[00:41.81] What do you do?
[00:43.80]The first rule of saying no to the boss is
[00:46.81] don't say no.
[00:48.42]She probably has something in mind
[00:50.82]when she makes suggestions,
[00:52.55] and it's up to you to find out what.
[00:54.97]The second rule is don't raise the stakes
[00:58.43] by challenging her authority.
[01:00.08]That issue is already decided.
[01:02.61]The third rule is to be ready to cite options and consequences.
[01:07.77]The boss's suggestions might be appropriate,
[01:10.92] but there are always consequences.
[01:13.62]She might not know about the pages backing up
[01:17.29]that need attention, or about the designer
[01:19.80] who had to go home sick.
[01:21.90]Tell her she can have what she wants,
[01:23.63]but explain the consequences.
[01:25.39]Understand what she's trying to accomplish and propose a Plan B
[01:30.42] that will make it happen without destroying
[01:33.63]what you've done so far.
[01:34.97]Here's another case. Your least-favorite reporter
[01:39.06] suggests a dumb story idea.
[01:41.59] This one should be easy,
[01:43.91]but it's not. If you say no, even politely,
[01:48.09]you risk inhibiting further ideas,
[01:50.74] not just from that reporter,
[01:53.29]but from others who heard that you turned down the idea.
[01:56.42]This scenario is common in newsrooms
[01:59.24]that lack a systematic way to filter story suggestions.
[02:02.50]Two steps are necessary.
[02:04.90]First, you need a system for how stories are proposed and reviewed.
[02:10.02] Reporters can tolerate rejection of their ideas
[02:13.11] if they believe they were given a fair hearing.
[02:16.00]Your gut reaction and dismissive rejection,
[02:19.37] even of a worthless idea,
[02:21.42]might not qualify as systematic or fair.
[02:24.79] Second, the people you work with need to
[02:28.94] negotiate a “What if...?” agreement covering
[02:32.05]“What if my idea is turned down?”
[02:34.47]How are people expected to react?
[02:37.17]Is there an appeal process?
[02:39.49] Can they refine the idea and resubmit it?
[02:42.63]By anticipating “What if...?”
[02:45.02]situations before they happen,
[02:46.70]you can reach understanding
[02:48.51]that will help ease you out of confrontations.