When, why and how to say "no" in the workplace is something that many of us struggle with when embarking upon our first job(s) and/or clerkship(s) in the legal profession. 

Should you say no when you are overbooked?  If it means compromising your best work, maybe this would be best.  Should you provide an explanation to your superior?  Probably a good idea.  A bad reputation can be gained by saying "yes" and not providing quality work by the deadline just as easily as saying "no" when you may be genuinely overbooked or overextended in the workplace.  No one would recommend saying no to avoid certain challenges such as something new or unknown or to avoid working with certain people.  I just wanted to point out that a lot of us want to prove ourselves in the workplace and sometimes that can lead to taking on too much without thinking about the potential implications that may come along with being unable to provide quality work product or produce by appropriate deadlines.

A recent post in YourABA entitled "Just say no - when it's appropriate" gives some valuable tips on how the above questions can be addressed without jeopardizing (and hopefully enhancing) your reputation in the workplace.  The article can be found by clicking here.

The article includes a podcast which features practical career tips from national leaders within the legal profession.