Many of us, myself included, are inclined to say yes to requests for help.

Even though we don’t really want to, or have the capacity, to help, we hum and haw, and say maybe or yes.

Being at a recent group meeting where one of the participants found it equally difficult to turn down help requests, I was reminded of a talk I attended a few years ago by the MP and former Auckland City mayor, John Banks.

His speech was mostly a number of lessons John had learned over the years.

They were all pretty useful bites of advice.

The one which most resonated though was “say no quickly”.

If you don’t want to, or can’t practically help someone, don’t beat around the bush.

You don’t have to back “no” up with a reason, a “sorry, can’t” should suffice.

So (and a note/reminder to self) don’t prevaricate or dissemble.

“Say no quickly”.