Time management would be so easy if it weren't for other people! Every morning I arrive at my desk and take a look all the tasks I have to do, prioritise them accordingly and plan out my day. I even plan out an additional 'spare' half hour in case any little things crop up. Managing time in this way is effective because you can schedule in a realistic day of work and maximise your productivity. The problem with this theory however is that my colleagues are constantly adding tasks throughout the day.

From their point of view it is not a problem to ask me to do a ten-minute small task here and there. From my point of view, ten people's small ten minute tasks here and there can add up to a serious wedge of time taken away from other more important assignments. It is not only the time it takes to complete them, but they also interrupt my concentration and take time to explain the nature of their request. Often they insist upon the urgency of the task and use various guilt tactics to get me to agree.

I have found over the years therefore, that part of effective time management is learning how to say 'no' to people. This does not mean adopting a rude demeanour or never help anyone out. Instead it is about learning how to politely and firmly say 'no,' while still respecting the person and the request. Any rational human being will be aware that sometimes you will not be able to drop everything and carry out their wishes, even with the best of intentions. It is therefore unreasonable of anyone to expect you to do so. Remember that it is not your job to please everyone all of the time and feeling guilty about saying no will only lead to you taking on more responsibility than you can cope with. This will lead to disappointments for people as you will begin to let them down and a general lessening in the quality of your work, as you will feel rushed and unappreciated.

So how do you go about saying no in a polite way without seeming blunt, offensive or uncaring? Saying a blank 'no' on it's own can seem harsh. Calmly think about the reasons why you are turning down their request and explain them. Are you very busy with another urgent project for example? Would you be able to complete the task if you were not busy? Is there is another person more qualified to perform the task since it is not something you feel capable of completing? If you do not mind completing the task at a later time or date then say so. Could they give you more time to complete it so you can schedule it in for the next day? In this way you can demonstrate that you are doing your best to help them.

Consider carefully the way in which you make your denial. While it is important to be clear about why you cannot carry out a request, you can also soften the blow with the language you use. For example, you could say 'I would love to do that, but unfortunately I have to complete an urgent task this morning. Perhaps I could work on it later?' This sounds polite and shows your regret at not being able to help them immediately. Another example of polite refusal is, ' I'm flattered that you'd think of me for that project, but my schedule is already full.

If you can't find someone else then we can schedule it in for later or ask management to re-prioritise my work.' If colleagues are being particularly pushy then do not be afraid to suggest a meeting with your line management in order to re-prioritise your work. If there is a genuine need then they will appreciate that you have your own work to do and need support from your manager to change the priorities. If the task is not as urgent as they are suggesting then they will not want to burden the management with the issue and will find someone else to complete the task.

If constant interruptions are affecting your work, then attempt to prevent the situation from occurring in the future by offering people an alternative. Have a daily calendar available for everyone to see, for example on Microsoft Outlook. Openly show the schedule of tasks and show the amount of time and when you are prepared to talk to people about ad-hoc requests.

Ask everyone to email you instead of interrupting you and set aside time to deal with the email requests. Explain that you hope to work more effectively, thus having more time to spend on their ad-hoc requests. You may need to be firm, but once people realise that you mean what you say, they will adapt to this new system and will appreciate that it works more efficiently for everyone.