Originally published on Forbes.com on May 29, 2018.

When work is overwhelming you and bringing you at your wit’s end, you may feel the pressure to say “no” to that next project because it is just too much to bear at the time. While it is innate to resist the temptation to refuse more responsibility, it can actually be beneficial to your career if done right.

Saying “no” can help you stick to the morals and values you have, while also allowing the right person for the job to take over. There’s no shame in saying “no” to that next assignment that will push you over the edge and that you just don’t have the time to dedicate to getting it done.

To allow you to feel more comfortable refusing work without fearing the consequences, 14 members of Forbes Coaches Council share some of the instances in which it is appropriate for professionals to say “no” in the workplace.

1. When Your Integrity Is On The Line

Saying “no” means that there is a breach of your personal and professional integrity. Integrity is about trust. Maintaining trust is about being honest and respectful to yourself and others. When your integrity is on the line, saying “no” is a wonderful way to keep trust. –Alan Trivedi, Trivedi Coaching & Consulting Group

2. If You’re Not The Right Person For The Job

If a professional knows a request asks that he or she do something outside his or her skill set, then it’s appropriate (and necessary) to say “no.” This is when a polite, “I am not certain I am best for the job, but have you considered Person X?” would be an appropriate answer. –Sharon Hull, Metta Solutions, LLC

3. If It Goes Against Your Values

Short of doing something illegal, one instance in which it is appropriate for professionals to say “no” is when something they have been asked to do goes against their values. When moral principles are challenged, say “no” and be OK with the consequence. If your boss does not respect your values, they do not value you. If you don’t say “no” to something that feels unethical, then you do not value yourself. – Susan Taylor,Generon International

4. To Better Manage Your Workload

It may seem ironic, but saying “no” strategically and respectfully is crucial to your standing in the workplace and your career. When you get a request that will prevent you from accomplishing a key career goal or your core responsibilities, it is important to say “no.” Start by discussing your key tasks with your manager and calculate how much time it will take to get them done. Then you will know whether you can say “yes” or “no.” – Loren Margolis, Training & Leadership Success LLC

5. When You Have A Better “Yes”

Say “no” to a “yes.” Say “no” so you can say “yes.” When a leader says “yes” to something new in their life or their leadership, they must decide that they will say “no” to something that they are already involved in doing. This principle will ensure that you are not just needlessly adding to your “yes” list, but rather are replacing your already “yes’s” with new “no’s.” – Ken Gosnell, CEO Experience

6. To Set Boundaries

We actually condition others how to treat us at work. Don’t set yourself up to be the “path of least resistance,” the person who never says “no,” even when already overloaded. That just increases the probability that the person asking will come back to you the next time. Practice saying “no” and then be prepared with an alternative approach or an alternative time frame. And be sure to say it with a smile! – Kathy Bernhard, KFB Leadership Solutions

7. When It Negatively Impacts Performance

“No” is something we are so often afraid of saying, and it’s a word we need to use more. Instead of focusing on the best way to meet the desired outcome, we fear saying “no” and end up taking on projects or tasks that are often counterproductive, slow us down or hold back the performance of the company. It’s your responsibility to say “no.” If not for your sanity, do it for the sake of your company. – Aaron Levy, Raise The Bar Consulting

8. When Too Much Is Really Too Much

Say “no” when it’s really not feasible for you to take on one more thing. Too many professionals will never say no and get to the point where nothing is getting done well. This damages your reputation and the success of the project, team or even the company. Discuss your reasoning with your manager and then there is the potential to reprioritize. – Edith Onderick-Harvey, NextBridge Consulting, LLC

9. When Fighting Abusive Language Or Behavior

It is never OK to be abusive, and if you do not say “no” and set a limit right away, then you may inadvertently send a message that you are OK with this kind of treatment. Additionally, you will be modeling to others what is OK or not OK in your work environment. All of this is especially true if you are a leader of others. Leaders create culture through their behavior, so it is incumbent on them to set expectations and limits –Eugene Dilan, Psy.D., DILAN Consulting Group

10. When The Request Doesn’t Match Your Goals

There will always be scenarios in the business arena where you must say “no.” If a request doesn’t match with your goals, ethics, or style, it’s appropriate to say “no.” When the message delivered is not a pleasant one, you must ensure that the message and the delivery match. Often, our nonverbal behaviors are so strong or mismatched that they become a distraction from our message. A “no” is a “no.” – Stacey HankeStacey Hanke Inc.

11. When It Is The Correct Answer

If you are asked a question and the answer is “no” then say “no.” If you are asked to do something unethical, or inappropriate, then say “no.” In general, never be afraid to say “no” if, in fact, it is the right answer. Don’t lie and don’t compromise your values by doing otherwise. –Donald Hatter, Donald Hatter Inc.

12. If It Helps Me Be A Better Boss

I want my team members to tell me the truth. It helps me delegate, assign tasks, and position people in the company when I know what parts of their job they feel invigorated by and which parts they dread. I encourage an open dialog around their tasks and roles. It helps me be a better boss if they let me know what things feel like a strong “no” for them. – Amanda Frances, Amanda Frances Inc

13. When You’re Stretched Too Thin

It’s OK to say no if you’ve been assigned too many responsibilities without enough resources, training or bandwidth, and the work or your health will suffer. A good leader will appreciate you speaking up, managing up and setting realistic boundaries. – Lizabeth Czepiel,Lizabeth Czepiel, LLC

14. The Choice Should Always Be There

A workplace where people can’t say “no” on a regular basis likely has overwhelmed and stressed employees. Saying “yes” to a request requires being able to say “no.” It’s impossible to do everything. Fearing repercussion for saying “no” leads to long to-do lists with a lot less getting done. The freedom to say both “yes” and “no” when appropriate leads to greater autonomy and trust. – David Butlein, Ph.D., BLUECASE Strategic Partners

Justin Follin
Justin Follin is a founding partner and CEO at BLUECASE Strategic Partners. He is a CEO coach and organizational consultant with primary expertise in the areas of visionary leadership development, cross-functional strategic leadership, solving complex adaptive challenges and innovation. He is the primary designer of the BLUECASE Leadership Development Process for fast-scaling, mid-market companies and M&A environments. He has led hundreds of Executives, Directors, and Managers through cross-functional leadership development and has coached public and private CEOs, business leaders, TEDx presenters, academic professors, musicians, and athletes to perform at optimal levels. He has also designed or executed leadership development and consulting approaches delivered inside some of the world’s largest oil and gas, construction, and mining companies.
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Justin Follin
Justin Follin is a founding partner and CEO at BLUECASE Strategic Partners. He is a CEO coach and organizational consultant with primary expertise in the areas of visionary leadership development, cross-functional strategic leadership, solving complex adaptive challenges and innovation. He is the primary designer of the BLUECASE Leadership Development Process for fast-scaling, mid-market companies and M&A environments. He has led hundreds of Executives, Directors, and Managers through cross-functional leadership development and has coached public and private CEOs, business leaders, TEDx presenters, academic professors, musicians, and athletes to perform at optimal levels. He has also designed or executed leadership development and consulting approaches delivered inside some of the world’s largest oil and gas, construction, and mining companies.
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Christine Trevino
Christine Trevino is Chief Operating Officer and efficiency extraordinaire at BLUECASE Strategic Partners. She has a strong commitment to ensuring our processes create an exceptional experience for our clients and our internal team. After spending nearly a decade within one of the nation’s largest health systems, Christine knows the foundational infrastructure necessary for operational efficiency, conflict management, resolution strategies and creating connections to truly understand what is wanted and needed and how to best accomplish it, whether supporting the business or supporting people. Christine has served in other mission focused organizations, like Texas Exes (Hook Em’) and Whole Foods Market where she had the opportunity to be a servant leader and contribute to making an impact in the lives of others as she also does through our work at BLUECASE. Christine is married to her high school sweetheart and they have five children. She enjoys the outdoors, photography and volunteering in various organizations.
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David B. Greenspan
David Greenspan, Ph.D., is the Founder of BLUECASE Strategic Partners. He has a PH.D. in High-Performance Psychology with expertise in why certain individuals and teams perform at exceptional levels, even in suboptimal circumstances. BLUECASE facilitates strategic planning and teaches managers and executives at fast-growing companies how to create seamless cross-functional collaboration, feedback-rich cultures, and high levels of engagement. An expert in creating high-performance corporate cultures and teams, David is an energizing leader, coach, and facilitator known for his capacity to galvanize groups to generate breakthrough results. David has over fifteen years of experience working with senior executives at Fortune 100 companies and executive teams of fast-growing PE-backed companies with between $50 Million and $2 Billion in annual revenue. Notable clients include ESO, Vida Capital, Intersys, Four Hands, AffiniPay, Logix, University of Texas, Maidbot, Bypass Mobile, Austin Fitness Group/Orange Theory Fitness, Kerbey Lane Cafe, ShippingEasy, Triangle Services, Allegiance Mobile Health, and YPO.
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David B. Greenspan
David Greenspan, Ph.D., is the Founder of BLUECASE Strategic Partners. He has a PH.D. in High-Performance Psychology with expertise in why certain individuals and teams perform at exceptional levels, even in suboptimal circumstances. BLUECASE facilitates strategic planning and teaches managers and executives at fast-growing companies how to create seamless cross-functional collaboration, feedback-rich cultures, and high levels of engagement. An expert in creating high-performance corporate cultures and teams, David is an energizing leader, coach, and facilitator known for his capacity to galvanize groups to generate breakthrough results. David has over fifteen years of experience working with senior executives at Fortune 100 companies and executive teams of fast-growing PE-backed companies with between $50 Million and $2 Billion in annual revenue. Notable clients include ESO, Vida Capital, Intersys, Four Hands, AffiniPay, Logix, University of Texas, Maidbot, Bypass Mobile, Austin Fitness Group/Orange Theory Fitness, Kerbey Lane Cafe, ShippingEasy, Triangle Services, Allegiance Mobile Health, and YPO.
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Christel Frietsch
Christel Frietsch is the Operations Administrator at BLUECASE Strategic Partners. She has 30 years of administrative experience with expertise in scheduling, correspondence, logistics and project coordination. Prior to joining the BLUECASE team, she was the Director of Operations for an Austin based CPG healthy lifestyle company, an Executive Administrator for a land use consulting firm, and an Executive Assistant to the CEO of an international disease prevention and wellness company. Originally from Austin, TX, Christel graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry, and completed her minor study in Psychology. She is an IIN Certified Integrative Holistic Health Coach and an IPHM Certified Energy Healer. Christel currently lives in New Braunfels, TX with her partner and two rescued dogs. She enjoys spending time in nature, gardening and reading.
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Lori Darley
Lori brings nearly two decades of experience as a transformational coach and consultant and has worked extensively with leaders and C-suite executives in many industries. She coaches organizations from multi-national corporations, such as Ferro Chemical, a global cosmetics firm and a Fortune 500 “Class One” rail transportation company. She has also worked with a wide variety of entrepreneurial ventures and individuals in non-profits, manufacturing, financial services, management consulting, commercial real estate, and the arts. Lori is a certified somatic coach, recognized by the Strozzi Institute, and a certified Peak Potentials trainer. Additional certifications include Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership, Gallup Strengths-Finder, the Myers/Briggs Personality Assessment, and the EQi-2 (an Emotional Intelligence assessment and 360 feedback model).
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Lori Darley
Lori brings nearly two decades of experience as a transformational coach and consultant and has worked extensively with leaders and C-suite executives in many industries. She coaches organizations from multi-national corporations, such as Ferro Chemical, a global cosmetics firm and a Fortune 500 “Class One” rail transportation company. She has also worked with a wide variety of entrepreneurial ventures and individuals in non-profits, manufacturing, financial services, management consulting, commercial real estate and the arts. Lori is a certified somatic coach, recognized by the Strozzi Institute, and a certified Peak Potentials trainer. Additional certifications include Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership, Gallup Strengths-Finder, the Myers/Briggs Personality Assessment and the EQi-2 (an Emotional Intelligence assessment and 360 feedback model).
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Robin Knudsen
Robin combines 20 years of international corporate experience with that of leadership development to bring insight into creating diverse and inclusive cultures and improving how teams function. As a coach and facilitator, Robin has worked with a broad range of companies across industries from Fortune 100’s through to entrepreneurs and SME’s. Robin holds a BA from The University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Organization Development from St. Edward’s University. She is a certified executive coach, trained in NLP, HeartMath, and Reiki.
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Robin Knudsen
Robin combines 20 years of international corporate experience with that of leadership development to bring insight into creating diverse and inclusive cultures and improving how teams function. As a coach and facilitator, Robin has worked with a broad range of companies across industries from Fortune 100’s through to entrepreneurs and SME’s. Robin holds a BA from The University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Organization Development from St. Edward’s University. She is a certified executive coach, trained in NLP, HeartMath, and Reiki.
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Shawn Clark is a certified executive coach who brings extensive hands-on leadership experience to every coaching session. His business background includes senior leadership roles with global Fortune 500 companies and U.S. Federal Government agencies. Shawn delivers powerful and effective coaching experiences using proven tools, resources, and personal experiences to help his clients reach their goals.

Coaching expertise: Managing conflict • Change management • Time management • Turn-arounds for under-performing teams • Strategy development • Building stronger teams • Stress management • Executive presence • Communication skills 

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Shawn Clark
Shawn Clark is a certified Executive Coach who brings extensive hands-on leadership experience to every coaching session. His business background includes senior leadership roles for mission-critical teams and initiatives with global Fortune 500 companies and U.S. Government agencies. Shawn delivers powerful, effective and efficient coaching experiences which enables his clients to achieve results that were previously unattainable. Shawn strives to ensure the coaching journey is a fulfilling and enjoyable experience loaded with exploration, discovery, creativity, growth and achievement.
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Trish Perevich
Trish brings over 10 years of experience as an Executive Coach and has coached a range of professionals from emerging leaders to C-Suite Executives. Her experience includes individual and group coaching; design and delivery of corporate training and coaching programs; and facilitation of SVP and C-Level Peer Advisory Groups. Trish has worked with a range of organizations from startups to Enterprise Fortune 100 companies including Genentech/Roche, Google, NASA and the United States Airforce. She has served dozens of industries including technology, finance, life science, construction, healthcare, education and more. Supporting her experience is a BS Degree in Business/Marketing from The Rochester Institute of Technology. Trish holds the PCC coaching credential along with certificates in Conscious Business Coaching and Team Advantage Coaching. Outside of work Trish enjoys golf, hiking, yoga, fitness classes, cooking and travel.
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Trish Perevich
Trish brings over 10 years of experience as an Executive Coach and has coached a range of professionals from emerging leaders to C-Suite Executives. Her experience includes individual and group coaching; design and delivery of corporate training and coaching programs; and facilitation of SVP and C-Level Peer Advisory Groups. Trish has worked with a range of organizations from startups to Enterprise Fortune 100 companies including Genentech/Roche, Google, NASA and the United States Airforce. She has served dozens of industries including technology, finance, life science, construction, healthcare, education and more. Supporting her experience is a BS Degree in Business/Marketing from The Rochester Institute of Technology. Trish holds the PCC coaching credential along with certificates in Conscious Business Coaching and Team Advantage Coaching. Outside of work Trish enjoys golf, hiking, yoga, fitness classes, cooking and travel.
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Kan Yan
Kan has coached leaders in organizations at various stages of development—from startup founders to C-suite executives at multi-billion dollar companies. He has implemented leadership development programs at several organizations that enabled them to strengthen their culture during periods of massive growth. In his previous lives, Kan worked as a lawyer for the United Nations and US Federal Courts and as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company where he consulted Fortune 500 clients across numerous industries with a focus on strategy, organizational health, and leadership development. Kan has spent more than two decades cultivating wisdom practices. He has spent hundreds of days in silent meditation retreat. He designed and facilitated McKinsey’s Inner Wisdom Retreat which convened C-suite executives from some of the largest organizations in the world to learn about mindful leadership. He has a law degree from Harvard Law School and a masters of diplomacy from the Tufts Fletcher School.
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Kan Yan
Kan has worked as an international humanitarian for the United Nations, a lawyer for the US Federal Courts, and a management consultant for McKinsey & Company where he consulted Fortune 500 clients across numerous industries with a focus on organizational health and leadership development. He has a law degree from Harvard Law School and a Masters of Law and Diplomacy from the Tufts Fletcher School.
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Paulin Laberge
Paulin has co-founded two technology companies and has served as CEO of five. After more than 30 years of senior leadership roles in the technology industry, Paulin recently made the transition from running companies to helping teams grow their companies. His most recent engagement was as CEO of iCompass Technologies, a SaaS company that delivers solutions that strengthen open and efficient government, and which resulted in a successful exit at the end of 2017. He has been an advisor and mentor to numerous technology companies. Paulin has firsthand experience in building organizations, developing effective strategies, securing financing, developing market-leading products, establishing strategic alliances, marketing, and selling domestically and internationally. He has worked with boards and management teams to help them precisely execute critical corporate objectives and business strategies, create performance-centric cultures, and engaged, motivated teams, focused on driving results. Paulin has been an Entrepreneur in Residence at the British Columbia Innovation Council, where he established a province-wide mentor program. He was also actively involved in the development and delivery of growth, strategy, and market validation programs widely used by several technology accelerators. Paulin started his career as an Electrical Engineer after graduating from the University of Alberta. Throughout his career, Paulin has trained in numerous areas including, strategy, finance, sales, marketing, negotiations, organizational development, mentoring, and coaching. He resides with his wife, Lea, and their dog Huxley, on the west coast near Vancouver, BC.
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Paulin Laberge
Paulin has co-founded two technology companies and has served as CEO of five. After more than 30 years of senior leadership roles in the technology industry, Paulin recently made the transition from running companies to helping teams grow their companies. His most recent engagement was as CEO of iCompass Technologies, a SaaS company that delivers solutions that strengthen open and efficient government, and which resulted in a successful exit at the end of 2017. He has been an advisor and mentor to numerous technology companies. Paulin has firsthand experience in building organizations, developing effective strategies, securing financing, developing market-leading products, establishing strategic alliances, marketing, and selling domestically and internationally. He has worked with boards and management teams to help them precisely execute critical corporate objectives and business strategies, create performance-centric cultures, and engaged, motivated teams, focused on driving results. Paulin has been an Entrepreneur in Residence at the British Columbia Innovation Council, where he established a province-wide mentor program. He was also actively involved in the development and delivery of growth, strategy, and market validation programs widely used by several technology accelerators. Paulin started his career as an Electrical Engineer after graduating from the University of Alberta. Throughout his career, Paulin has trained in numerous areas including, strategy, finance, sales, marketing, negotiations, organizational development, mentoring, and coaching. He resides with his wife, Lea, and their dog Huxley, on the west coast near Vancouver, BC.
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Lisa Jaecklein
Lisa is well-known in high-tech industries for her work in developing and leading high-performance teams. She has “walked the talk” as President and CEO for private and public engineering-based companies in Satellite Communications, Telecom, and Commercial Enterprise markets. Lisa’s corporate background includes leading an IPO, Strategic Planning, Mergers and Acquisitions, and integration of global teams. She draws from her diverse market experience and passion for coaching to support the professional development of executives and senior management teams. Her focus areas include supporting the development/ refinement of strategic plans, executive coaching to advance leadership capabilities, and organization alignment necessary to support strategy implementation. Lisa brings a unique understanding of the interdependencies of people and business that drive results and ways to sustain a positive level of energy in her client's personal and professional lives. Lisa holds a BS in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco and has served as a director on several corporate and not-for-profit boards.
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Lisa Jaecklein
Lisa is well known in high tech industries for her work in developing and leading high-performance teams. She has “walked the talk” as President and CEO for private and public engineering based companies in Satellite Communications, Telecom and Commercial Enterprise markets. Lisa’s corporate background includes leading an IPO, Strategic Planning, Mergers and Acquisitions and integration of global teams. She draws from her diverse market experience and passion for coaching to support professional development of executives and senior management teams. Her focus areas include supporting development/ refinement of strategic plans, executive coaching to advance leadership capabilities and organization alignment necessary to support strategy implementation. Lisa brings a unique understanding of the interdependencies of people and business that drives results and ways to sustain a positive level of energy in her clients personal and professional lives. Lisa holds a BS in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco and has served as Director on a number of corporate and not for profit Boards.
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