Speaking and being heard

Stage 7 of 7 · 6 lessons · ~2 weeks

Disagreeing, saying no and writing clearly

Being heard also means saying things people may not want to hear. Disagree politely, say no without guilt, and use clear writing as the backup channel when speaking is not enough.

Start: Disagreeing politely

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

  1. 1Disagreeing politely
  2. 2Disagreeing with seniors and teachers
  3. 3Saying no without guilt
  4. 4Harder conversations
  5. 5Writing clearly as your backup channel
  6. 6Written updates that get noticed

Do this

  • Raise one disagreement this month using acknowledge, view with reason, question
  • Say no to one request you would normally accept, with a reason and an alternative
  • Prepare one harder conversation in writing before you have it
  • Rewrite one long message with the main point first
  • Send a short written update every week for four weeks
  • Try one of Google's free technical writing lessons

Start with· follow one of these

Practise

  • Hemingway Editor

    Highlights long, hard sentences so you can make messages easier to read

Keep handy

Also worth your time

Before moving on: One real disagreement raised politely, one request declined clearly and kindly, one long message rewritten with the request first, and four weeks of short written weekly updates to a manager, teacher or project group.

Tauseef's advice
Being heard is not about being the loudest. It is about saying the important thing clearly, at the right time, to the right person, and then putting it in writing. Disagreeing respectfully and saying no are signs of maturity, not rudeness, and most good teams want both from you.

Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).

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