To feel comfortable saying ‘no’, you must first of all ask ‘is this person making a reasonable request?’ If it isn’t (let’s say it’s class tickets to Wimbledon), then politely explain your reasons (of which I’m sure there will be many) and be firm.
If the answer is ‘no’ and will always be ‘no’, it’s important that you respond immediately, politely and firmly. In these situations, be sure that you have the autonomy to make the decision. If you don’t, let them know that you’ll note their request and get back to them when you’ve spoken with the Head.
Of course, it get’s harder if you know that what they’re asking for is something that could really benefit the school and in a time where money wasn’t an issue, you wouldn’t think twice about saying yes.
In these situations, examine the request more thoroughly and ask yourself – has anything they’ve said made you reconsider the existing budget priorities? Is there anything that either you or they can do to enable you to say yes? Maybe there is a cheaper way of doing something or reducing expenditure in another area could create additional resource.
If you don’t know the answer to this off the bat, then don’t be afraid to say ‘I hear where you’re coming from, leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do.’ When you’ve investigated, make sure that you go back to them with a clear answer and explanation. If you try and you fail to meet their request, then at least the person will see that you recognise the importance of what they’ve asked for but there are good reasons behind why you’ve had to say no.
It’s worth keeping a note of any budget request you receive to discuss in your finance meeting with the Head. Any requests that fall into a ‘grey’ area can be reviewed as a whole as the financial picture continues to shift.
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Written for: Education Executive Magazine (@edexec)
