Eighteen years ago, Murray Harrington FCA was in the finals of a young accountant competition in Christchurch, New Zealand, when he received a call from the local branch manager of what was then the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

“He asked if I’d like to work on their branch committee,” Harrington says. “It was pro bono, for the love of the profession. Interestingly, if I’d said no, I never would have been president of CA ANZ 17 years later.”

It’s just one great example of the power of saying yes to responsibilities beyond your nine-to-five job.

Another example is entrepreneur Andrew Griffiths. Now a business consultant and an international bestselling business author, Griffiths says that when he was starting out in business, he said yes to everything.

“I didn’t really have the experience or the need for a filter, because when it came to business development, my prerequisite for a customer was that they could afford to pay,” he says. “Today, I have my own checklist that helps me decide whether or not to say yes.”

“I need each box in my checklist to be a positive tick before I’ll take on a project, client or request. The only time requests seem to backfire is when I ignore the checklist.”

This checklist, Griffiths points out, has developed over time. It is less likely that a person in their early career will have the ability to analyse a request to the same level. But it would help if they consider their own version of a checklist, he says.

Andrew Griffiths’ checklist:

• Is the request in alignment with my goals?
• Do I have the time?
• Is the client my preferred type of client?
• Is it in alignment with my financial goals?
• Does the project excite or enthuse me?
• Have I got any doubts?
• Is the business or person making the request credible?
• What does my intuition say?

“Really, I need each of these to be a positive tick before I’ll take on this project, client or request,” Griffiths says. “The only time requests seem to backfire is when I ignore this checklist.”

Delayed benefits

Leanne Allen FCA, group chief financial officer of the Commercial and General group and vice-chair of the CA ANZ South Australian/Northern Territory Council, says taking on extra responsibilities in the workplace is an excellent way to discover new opportunities.

However, she is wary of recommending that people take it to the same level she has in the past.

“I have always been described as a workaholic,” she says. “I am definitely not a poster child for work–life balance. But I do think that if somebody wants to exploit the broadest exposure in their sector, they should say yes to as much as humanly possible.”

When she was in her early career, Allen put her hand up to be part of the Y2K team, a group of people within the business dedicated to ensuring the computer systems survived the changeover from 31 December 1999 to 1 January 2000. Of course, history reveals Y2K was never a risk. Allen had spent countless hours – including her entire New Year’s Eve – over many weeks on an IT project for nothing, or so it seemed at the time.

“My computer skills, while I was never trained, became quite broad as a result of that project,” she says. “To this day, I have another language beyond finance and often CFOs manage IT teams. I may not be the most technical person in the room, but I can certainly hold a conversation and understand the lingo.”

Business motivations

When asked whether individuals should say yes or no to extra requests at work, performance psychologist Gavin Freeman, co-author of Don’t Let Me Die in Economy Class: How the Ordinary Become Extraordinary, says it’s the wrong question.

“The question is steeped in a whole series of assumptions,” he says. “The assumptions I’m applying to that situation will dictate the answer.

“There could be an imbalance of power. If something bad happens, then you may not be powerful enough to respond in the way you should. In this case, you should say no, if that’s even possible.”

Instead, Freeman says, it’s important to first look at the environment the organisation has created. Why are people being asked to do extra work, above and beyond what is in their job description? Is the organisation attempting to cut costs, or is it consciously trying to develop and upskill its staff?

“If the reasons are positive, the answer actually comes down to the goal orientation of the individual,” he says. “If the person’s goal orientation is geared towards continued success from an outcomes-based perspective, they may well be best to look for every opportunity.”

For others, he says, goal orientation is more around mastery of task, in which case the individual might choose to refuse anything that distracts from their main role.

Reporting lines

Whether you say yes or no, there’s the prickly question of who has the right to assign us a role within an organisation.

“Think of a family unit, with the parents regularly assigning roles or jobs to their kids,” says Freeman. “That’s absolutely fine, but what happens when grandma comes around and tells the kids to do the dishes? Even if that role is within the kids’ scope of work, is everybody OK with grandma assigning that role?”

Organisations, Freeman says, should develop clear guidelines around why they request extra effort from their staff, what its purpose is and who should make the approach. They must then understand the varying goal orientations of individuals, offering an acceptable and safe way for each individual to say no, if that is their choice.

Freeman says if a person decides to accept an extra role, perhaps as a member of a project team, the positive or negative outcome of the project is not likely to affect the outcome for them, personally.

“Even if a project fails, and in the short-term it seems negative, in the long-term it will tend to be a positive,” Freeman says.

“Every outcome does not need to be positive. Crappy experiences can still give us fantastic learning moments and insights.”

“Every outcome does not need to be positive. Crappy experiences can still give us fantastic learning moments and insights.”

Managing expectations

For individuals then, rather than career stage or power imbalance, sense of duty or blind faith in a positive outcome, the decision should instead be made after a close analysis of their own goals. Are they looking to become better at their current role? Or are they hoping to expand their options and opportunities?

Last but far from least, is the individual able to set boundaries and expectations?

“I was told a powerful story about a superstar performer in a team at one of Australia’s big four banks,” Freeman says. “Leadership wanted to give her an opportunity to expand and grow. So, they took her out of her superstar role and put her into a role that she fundamentally knew nothing about. She went back to being a rookie.

“The problem was that expectations never changed. The business kept evaluating her on her performance in her previous role. It was a complete failure and ultimately led to her leaving the business.”

Meanwhile Harrington, who now sits on several boards and is an executive director with a private equity firm, is usually still saying yes to requests for his knowledge, time and experience. After he stepped down from the president role at the end of 2023, he was seconded back to CA ANZ Audit and Risk Committee as chair for 2024.

“Sometimes, when somebody asks for your time they’re also offering you an opportunity,” he says.

“Neither of you know what it is, and perhaps it’s as simple as working with people you otherwise wouldn’t have met, or experiencing a diversity of points of view. They’re as good a reason as any to at least think about saying yes.”

The best way to accept or decline

How to manage expectations, when you say yes

One of the biggest issues that can arise at the beginning of any business project or relationship is misaligned expectations.

I’ve learned over the years to slow down the beginning phase, to make sure expectations are clear, to address any issue that arises early, to get the communication between both parties flowing and to avoid billing until I’m 100% sure both parties are on the same page.

We can all get overexcited at the start of a business relationship, but slowing things down a little can help to increase the chances of long-term success and avoid the issues that can destroy a business relationship.

I feel it’s wise to slow down the business honeymoon to avoid the business divorce.

The secret of saying no and not offending

When someone asks me to do something, I say, “I have to check my calendar and my commitments first, then I’ll come back to you.”

This gives me time to go away and think about whether I want to do the project or the request. Does it align with my current business goals? Do I have the time? Does the project interest me?

If it doesn’t, I can go back to the person and say no. This takes the pressure out of being put on the spot and feeling the need to say yes, as a people pleaser. It’s amazing how well it works when you give yourself a little space.

Also, make sure you have others you can refer the work or project to if you don’t want to do it. You’re then being helpful, while still saying no.

Take away

CA Library offers the Harvard Business Review audiobook Boundaries, Priorities, and Finding Work-Life Balance.