Have the confidence to say ‘NO!’

Have the confidence to say ‘NO!’

Ask nicely. Play nicely. Share nicely. For many of us, these childhood instructions echo down the decades until, as adults, we find ourselves covering for lazy colleagues, giving in to partners to keep the peace, or being taken hostage in our own kitchens by tea-swilling neighbours. Speaking as someone who’ll have “Don’t worry, I’ll do it” as her epitaph, being too darn nice is exhausting – and what’s more, it keeps you poor! Research at the Netherlands’ Tilburg University revealed that being too conscientious has a negative impact on women’s salaries. Dr John Gelissen, who led the research explains, “It has to do with the type of work women undertake. In female-dominated administrative and support roles, being conscientious at work is obviously vital, but you do reach the glass ceiling very early on.” So, excessive niceness can be a hindrance. Here’s how to say “no” nicely...