Question

【題目】How to Say No to Your Boss

Saying “no” to a request can be a difficult thing, especially when the person making the request is your boss.【1】The following steps are helpful.

Give yourself some time to think about the request before saying “no”.

If the request arrives via email, don’t reply right away.

【2】If your boss asks you in person or on the telephone, request some time to give it thought and tell her you will get back to her by a specific time. Consider the request carefully to determine whether you have to say “no”.

Prepare your answer before telling your boss “no”.

Anticipate questions she might ask in response to your answer, and decide how you want to answer them. Rehearse your conversation with your boss out loud to help build your confidence before the real conversation.

Choose the right time and place to speak with your boss.

Have the conversation in private if your work situation allows you to get a moment alone with your boss. Keep in mind your boss’s workday pressures and work style. If she is a morning person and gets grumpy(脾氣暴躁的)in the afternoon, be sure to speak with her before lunch.

【3】

If your boss is asking you to take on more responsibility, that shows that she has faith in your ability to do the job. Acknowledge that it means a lot to you before telling her that you feel you cannot do it.

Tell your boss why you have to say “no” to the request.

【4】Your boss will be grateful that you answered honestly, rather than trying to take on a project you cannot handle.

Offer an alternative solution.

For example, if your boss asks you to serve on a committee, suggest someone else in the company that you think may be interested and capable of serving.【5】

A. Pay your boss a compliment while denying her request.

B. Even if you try your best to do everything the boss lets you do, there are times when you can’t do and have to say “no”.

C. Put yourself in your boss’s shoes and consider how the company will be affected if you refuse the request.

D. Maybe you could offer to share the workload with someone else.

E. Most employers respect honesty in their employees.

F. Try a compromise.

G. Set the request aside and think about it for a while.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】G

【3】A

【4】E

【5】D

【解析】試題分析：本文給出了如何對(duì)你的老板說“不”的步驟。

【1】B 根據(jù)上句：對(duì)一個(gè)請(qǐng)求說“不”可能是一件困難的事情，尤其請(qǐng)求的人是你老板。再根據(jù)下句：下面這些步驟是有用的。故B項(xiàng)Even if you try your best to do everything the boss lets you do, there are times when you can’t do and have to say “no”.（即使你盡最大的努力去做老板讓你做的每件事情，也有很多你不能做，你必須說“不”的時(shí)候。）串聯(lián)上下文，故選B。

【2】G 根據(jù)上句：如果請(qǐng)求用郵件發(fā)來，不要立刻回答。故G項(xiàng)“把請(qǐng)求擱在一邊，考慮一會(huì)兒”符合語境，故選G。

【3】A 此題是一個(gè)小標(biāo)題。根據(jù)下文：如果你的老板想讓你承擔(dān)更多的責(zé)任，說明他信任你。根據(jù)常識(shí)：拒絕她的請(qǐng)求時(shí)，要給你的老板一個(gè)贊美。故選A。

【4】E 根據(jù)下句：你的老板會(huì)很感激你誠實(shí)的回答，而不是試圖接受一個(gè)你無法處理的項(xiàng)目。故多數(shù)老板尊重員工的誠實(shí)。故選E。

【5】D 根據(jù)上句：公司里的其他人，你認(rèn)為可能有興趣，有能力服務(wù)。故下句的意思是：你可以提供與別人分享工作量。故選D。