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The Leader's Ways to Say No to Feature Ideas or Requests

You have to say no sometimes as a PM. For many, it is difficult.

August 07, 2023 • Approx. Reading Time: 6 minutes

Read Time: 4 min

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As a product manager, you sure come across a lot of those “fictitious Fionas” or “fictitious Franks”. And they spawn at literally every sprint 😤!!

“Why don’t we build this feature!?”, they go. But you know why you aren’t building them yet and now you gotta say "NO!”. And you can’t! You find it way too difficult 😢.

Let’s help you with that - fast!

First, let’s start with the mistakes you should avoid.

Dismissing the idea outright 💀 

Even if an idea or request doesn't align with the product strategy, it's important to acknowledge its value and the effort that went into proposing it. Dismissing the idea outright can come across as dismissive or disrespectful.

"I appreciate the thought you put into this idea and can see how it would be valuable for some users. However, given our current priorities and roadmap, we won't be able to pursue it at this time because right now, the main problem we are trying to resolve is..."

Being vague or unclear 🌥️ 

When explaining why an idea cannot be pursued, it's important to be transparent and provide a clear explanation. Being vague or unclear can lead to confusion or misunderstandings.

"While I appreciate the idea, we won't be able to pursue it at this time due to technical limitations. Our development team has advised that it would require significant resources and time to implement, and we need to focus on other priorities at this time."

Making it personal 😡 

Saying "no" to an idea or request can be difficult, but it's important to keep the conversation focused on the product and the overall goals and objectives. Making it personal or attacking the person proposing the idea can damage relationships and undermine collaboration.

"While I understand the passion and effort you put into proposing this idea, it doesn't align with our current product strategy. However, I appreciate your input and look forward to continuing to work together on future initiatives."

Not expressing gratitude 🥱 

Even if an idea cannot be pursued, it's important to express gratitude for the effort and thought put into proposing it. This helps maintain a positive relationship with stakeholders and encourages ongoing collaboration and ideation.

"Thank you for taking the time to propose this idea and for your ongoing support of our product. While we won't be pursuing it at this time, we value your input and look forward to hearing your feedback in the future."

Being inflexible 🪨 

While it's important to prioritize features and requests that align with the product strategy, it's also important to remain flexible and open to new ideas and feedback. Being too rigid or inflexible can stifle innovation and creativity.

"While we won't be able to pursue this idea at this time, I appreciate your creativity and willingness to share your thoughts. We'll keep it in mind as we continue to evolve our product strategy."

Now that we know what we should avoid, let us now look at how you could say no to feature requests or ideas while displaying leadership qualities.

Saying No Like a Leader

A product manager is also a leader. And leadership comes with plenty of challenges. Saying No is one of them. When you’re a leader, you need to be mindful of quite a lot.

Focus on the bigger picture 🎥 

Rather than getting bogged down in the details of a specific feature or idea, it's important to keep the conversation focused on the overall product strategy and how the idea fits (or does not fit) into that strategy.

This helps stakeholders understand the reasoning behind the decision and demonstrates a focus on the bigger picture.

Explain the reasoning behind the decision 🤔 

It's important to be transparent and provide a clear explanation for why the idea or feature cannot be pursued.

Whether it's due to technical limitations, budget constraints, or misalignment with the product strategy, providing a clear explanation demonstrates that the decision was not made lightly and helps build trust with stakeholders.

Use data to support the decision 💹 

If the decision to say "no" is based on data (e.g. user research, market analysis), sharing that data can help stakeholders understand the reasoning behind the decision.

This can demonstrate that the decision was made objectively and based on the best available information.

Build relationships and trust 🤝 

Building strong relationships with stakeholders and demonstrating trustworthiness can help make saying "no" easier.

This involves being responsive to feedback, maintaining a positive attitude, and being approachable and empathetic.

Start to use these techniques and see if you are getting better at saying no. Good luck!

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