Art of Rejecting

Rejecting someone especially those close to you or the next of kin is very difficult. As human, we tend to concur with what our close allies trying to convince us and hence to buy in the idea. However, at time rejecting something is unavoidable especially if it will threaten your position, value or interest. For example, if someone request to borrow money beyond your capability, then it is right for you to reject it. Rejecting can be done in a casual and cordial manner rather than a hash situation in which the relationship might have affected. This, itself is an art.

When it comes to public office, the general public tend to make tonnes of requests without considering the other factors. Some residents, for instance made many requests for upgrading the infrastructure and facilities in their neighbourhood without considering others might have similar request. Some might want to have a community hall in their area without acknowledging that such facility is in place within the vicinity of the neighbourhood. Under such circumstances, rejecting outright should have to be done politely or else the public office will invite more criticism. Of course, rejecting should have been done with fact and figure as well as logical explanation.

Rejecting by pushing away the solution to others is not a right thing to do. However, it is a reality of life that many of us trying to push request not in our flavour to others. Sometime we do not like the idea but shy of saying so, instead of rejecting it we will suggest the proponent to try elsewhere. For example, a public ask for help from a department but was pushed around to other department as nobody want to help beyond their own boundary of work or with the reason of not my duty. However, we have to be mindful that when a public steps into an agency, he will only consider the agency as one and will not be able to differentiate particular department. Under such circumstances, help should be extending and exercising the art of rejecting here is not wise, I presume.