WorkLife: How to say no

Worklife with Adam Grant

TED

Management, Worklife Podcast, Worklife With Adam Grant, Work Life Balance, Ted Talks, Podcast About Work Life, Ted Adam Grant, Adam Grant Podcasts, Ted Podcasts, Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist, Business

4.8 • 9.4K Ratings

🗓️ 29 April 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In a world filled with requests, many of us are struggling to stay afloat. Even if you’re not a people-pleaser, the desire to maintain a positive reputation can make it hard to turn others down. In this episode, Adam explores the art and science of delivering an effective “no.” He highlights strategies for setting boundaries with others to create space for yourself—and healthier relationships with those around you. Guests: psychologist Vanessa Bohns, author of You Have More Influence Than You Think; Sherri Lu, founder of Eldest Daughter Club; playwright Topher Payne, author of The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries.

Follow

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guests:

Vanessa Bohns (Instagram: @profbohns | Website: vanessabohns.com/)

Sherri Lu (Instagram: @eldestdaughterclub)

Topher Payne (Instagram: @topherwrites | Website: topherpayne.com/)

Links

You Have More Influence Than You Think by Vanessa Bohns

Eldest Daughter Club's Newsletter (Substack)

The Tree Who Sets Healthy Boundaries by Topher Payne

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, TED Podcast listeners. It's Elise Hugh here from TED Talks Daily. Thanks for making our
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0:16.9	minutes but it helps us shape our shows and get to know you, our listeners, way better.
0:22.2	Head to the episode description to find the link. Thank you again for listening and for taking
0:27.1	the time to help our shows.
0:32.1	Hi, I'm Delvin, colleague at As a Hayes. And there are a few things that are always on my family's
0:37.2	shopping list. Luckily, loads of them are that are always on my family's shopping list.
0:37.9	Luckily, loads of them are now on rollback. That's right, Delwyn. We're rolling back a 900-mill
0:42.4	carton of Tropicana orange juice from £3.7 to £2.36. And a 48 pack of personal non-bio washing
0:49.3	capsules from £10.98 to £8. Now that's good honest value.
0:55.4	That's ASDA price.
0:57.5	Selected stores subject to availability.
0:59.0	Tropicana ends 23rd July.
1:00.7	May exclude ASDA Express and small stores.
1:02.2	See ASDA.com slash small stores.
1:03.9	Breaking up is never easy.
1:06.6	But saying goodbye to your old clunky work tools,
1:08.1	well, that's easy.
1:09.4	Just repeat after me.
1:10.8	It's not me. It's not me.
1:12.5	It's definitely you.
	...

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