Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin - Start Doing This at Work

Episode Date: September 29, 2021

Yesterday’s episode was all about cutting unnecessary “sorry’s” out of your vocabulary. Today’s episode is all about which words should actually get more play (Nicole’s picks may surprise you!).

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Well, it doesn't. Charge for wasting our time. I will take a check. Like an old school check. You recognize her from anchoring on CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg. The only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand. Nicole Lappin. Yesterday, we talked about words and phrases that money rehabbers should not be using at work.

So let's talk about two you should start embracing more. Thank you and no. That may seem contradictory now, but hear me out. Let's start with gratitude. I have often said that any math you need to get your financial life together, you learned in grade school. Well, sometimes when it comes to talking like a boss, the same sentiment applies. Remember your childhood roots and say thank you. There is this Amy Schumer skit where the characters go through ridiculous lengths to say anything to each other but thank you. The female friends featured in the skit compliment one another with things like, look at that cute dress. And instead of responding with the

appropriate thank you, each woman puts herself down in extreme and ridiculous ways. My favorite was, I paid like $2 for it. It's probably made from old Burger King crowds. Sound familiar? Self-hating responses to praise is a common problem, not only in our personal lives, but also in the workplace. Are you guilty of not being able to take a compliment from a boss or a colleague about your work?

Instead of saying thank you, do you avoid acknowledging the compliment or immediately dish one back to them? Do you make your compliment-worthy achievement seem like it was nothing at all? Downplay it, or even worse, deny it? It might look something like this. Say someone at work says, you rocked that presentation. You might be inclined to say something like, oh, really? It was no biggie. Way easier than I thought. Or, oh, gosh, I don't think so. I stumbled and stuttered so much. But you did an amazing job. The BS stops today. From now on, let's keep it simple and change your

response to just two powerful little words. Thank you. Shutting down compliments implies to the people around you that you don't think you're compliment worthy. And you are. You're awesome. Accept that and accept the praise. Now let's move on to the next one. I want to hear you say no more at work. Saying no might sound contrary to what I stand for as a fearless money rehabber.

But remember, I am all about laser focus and doing less better. So by all means, say yes to work projects. And I totally get that sometimes you do have to say yes if you're getting a particular assignment from your boss or you're just not at that level yet in your career. But if you are and if you're not obliged to do it, if it's not a hell yes or a fuck yes, it's a no. If it's a maybe, it's a no. I get it. We all want to be seen as these superhuman creatures who can handle any assignment we get. But the truth is, no matter how superhuman you are, you simply can't do everything that comes your way, at least not well.

Perhaps you think that by biting off more than you can chew, you'll amass a ton of experience and contacts, even if the quality of your work suffers because you're spread so thin. But wouldn't it be better to do both? Produce a clear, shining example while also getting some great experience? How? By going deep instead of wide. Here's a cheat sheet on how to say no, without sounding like an asshole, to three people who might ask you to do a little extra stuff at work. Number one, your coworker. If you need to say no when your coworker asks you, hey, can you help me with this recruiting project? You say, I would love to be helpful,

but so-and-so has me on a deadline and I don't have the bandwidth to make this the success it should be. When that project is done, I would love to find other ways we could collaborate. Here's why you say something like this. Having co-workers in your corner and collaborating together is a very important part of thriving at work. So tread carefully with this one because you'll likely need their help at some point down the road. If you really can't give them the help they need without compromising your own commitments, then you have to say no. But be aware that you should only use this method if you are indeed truly slammed. If the person asking you for help finds out you are lying, you could burn some

pretty important bridges. And they sure as hell will not help you when you need it. Number two, your client. If you need to say no when your client asks you something like, are you able to attend this event? You could say, I am so flattered you thought of me for this event. I can't make this one, but please keep the invitations coming. Here's why you say something like that. Clients are royalty in any business. They are your source of, well, money, so you want to keep them happy. You may be worried that if you decline their ask, they will never ask you again.

But what you should remember is that you're thinking about this ask a thousand times more than they are. In fact, it's likely a throwaway invitation. Sorry, ego, but it's true. And they probably already have found someone else lined up to go as a backup. If you need to say no when your boss asks, can you take on a new project for a third client we're working on? You could say, you know, I am not confident that I could take on another client while devoting the time and energy required for my other clients. I would love to revisit after the current projects with clients one and two are wrapped up. In the meantime, I would be thrilled to learn more about the client and try to be as helpful as I can by brainstorming with you for the best strategy for success for client three's project. Let's set up a meeting to discuss and I can also get you up to speed with where I am with clients one and two. Here's why you say something like this. Saying no to a superior is super tough. There is no doubt about it. But if you are really unable to take something else on without letting your current projects down, then you have to say

no. Here it helps to remind yourself that you're doing both you and your boss a favor because if you accept the project, you risk doing a mediocre job at all of them, which not only hurts the project, but also affects your overall performance and reputation and will likely come back to bite you in the ass during review or bonus time. Remember, saying no the right way doesn't mean that you're unwilling to go above and beyond. Rather, it shows that you value your time, the asker's time, and the importance and gravity of the task. It underscores that you are thoughtful and cautious about taking on something you could only deliver on half-assed. Don't half-ass anything. Whatever you do, use your full ass.

For today's tip, you can take straight to the bank. Not only should you receive work compliments well, but you should give great work compliments too. Everyone likes to be told that they're doing a good job and recognizing other people's work builds stronger workplace connections and community. If you dish out a stellar compliment or you receive a stellar compliment, hopefully when you said thank you to, DM me at Money Rehab Show and tell me all about it. And I will tell you, you probably did a great job for that compliment. And the compliment cycle just continues. Money Rehab is a production of iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Nicole Lappin. Our producers are

Morgan Lavoie and Mike Coscarelli. Executive producers are Nikki Etor and Will Pearson. Our mascots are Penny and Mimsy. Huge thanks to OG Money Rehab team Michelle Lanz for her development work, Catherine Law for her production and writing magic, and Brandon Dickert for his editing, engineering, and sound design. And as always, thanks to you for finally investing in yourself so that you can get it together and get it all.