????本文為與《創業者》雜志的合作內容。下文最初發表于Entrepreneur.com網站。

????我認識的每一位創業者，都說自己在一天中找不到足夠的時間去做自己想做的事情，但他們經常會答應新的請求。或許這是因為他們天生就是樂觀主義者，或許是因為他們不愿意讓別人失望，但最終的結果是，他們無法實現自己做出的每一個承諾，進而損害了自己的健康、信譽和效力。

????除了過于頻繁地說“是”之外，在壓力之下，有些創業者也會以非常糟糕的方式說“不”，他們可能會攻擊請求者，或是避免明確的回應。而這兩種方式經常是火上澆油，往往會造成負罪感或者隨后的妥協。

????成功的創業者必須對自己的所有承諾負責，管理對實現承諾的預期。筆者多年來從強有力的領導者那里學到了下面這些經驗，或許能幫助你在拒絕他人的時候，不會傷害當前的商業關系或未來的機會：

????1. 設定讓所有人都知曉的界限，并堅決執行

????讓相關人士清楚你需要優先解決的事情和界限。在何時有空或哪些請求可以接受等問題上，不要總是破壞你自己設定的規矩。你必須言行一致，如果你內心想拒絕，就不要說“是”。

????2. 先查看日程表，再給明確答復

????在給出回答之前查看一下日程安排或與其他負責人進行溝通，是可以接受的商業行為。不要馬上同意你無法做到的事情，也不要當場拒絕，因為這可能破壞雙方的關系。無論如何，務必承諾一個給出最終決定的日期或時間。

????3. 相信你的第一直覺

????要意識到，你的大腦和身體所記下的信息，通常比樂觀的情緒反應，或者在辛苦工作一天之后所做的負面情緒反應更加準確。在做出任何回答之前，深呼吸，清除大腦中的外部干擾，分析你的直覺反應。

????4. 向值得信任的同事說出兩種選擇的利弊

????大聲說出自己的考慮，可以保證你能全面了解接受和拒絕請求的影響。接受請求將增加你的工作量，而拒絕可能讓你未來的機會變成泡影。說出自己的顧慮，也可以為你贏得緩沖時間。

????This story is in partnership with Entrepeneur. This post was originally published at Entrepreneur.com

????Every entrepreneur I know can’t find enough hours in a day to do the good things they want, and yet they often find themselves saying yes to new requests. Perhaps because they are optimists by nature, or they just hate to disappoint others, they end up hurting their health, credibility and effectiveness by not being able to deliver on everything they promise.

????In addition to saying yes too often, some entrepreneurs under pressure say no poorly, by attacking the requestor or by avoiding any definitive response. Either of these approaches always make a difficult situation worse, often leading to guilt or a later accommodation.

????A successful entrepreneur must be accountable for all commitments, and manage expectations to make this possible. So here are some tips I have learned over the years from strong leaders that can help you say no without damaging current business relationships or future opportunities:

????1. Establish boundaries and honor them for all to see

????Let your constituents know your priorities and limits. Don’t continually break your own rules about when you are available or what requests are acceptable. Your actions must match your words, so don’t say yes when you mean no.

????2. Ask for time to check your calendar

????It’s an acceptable business practice to review your schedule or converse with other principals before committing to an answer. Don’t respond with a quick yes that you can’t deliver, or a quick no that will ruin a relationship. In all cases, it’s important to commit to a date or time for a final yes or no.

????3. Give credence to your initial instinct

????Recognize that your brain and your body often register information that is more accurate than an optimistic emotional reaction, or a negative reaction after a long hard day. Take a deep breath, clear your mind of any external distractions, and analyze your gut reaction before providing any answer.

????4. Voice both the pros and cons to a trusted cohort

????Speaking the considerations out loud will help you make sure you understand the full implications of either a yes or a no answer. Every yes answer increases your workload, and every no answer may cut off an opportunity you need down the road. Talking it out also buys you time.