I said no, but I still have to see them tomorrow
The night before an important presentation, an unexpected request comes in. Even after saying no, you find yourself revising your reply and thinking about…
Scenes
- A request came in just before an important presentation — The night before the presentation, a colleague asked you to organize the materials for them. You said it would be difficult because you still had your own work to do, but now you keep picturing their face tomorrow.
- Tomorrow lingers after saying no — You’ve already sent the reply, but you keep editing the words in your head. The request is over, but you’ll see that colleague at tomorrow’s presentation prep meeting.
- Saying no doesn’t end the conversation — In the conversation, you can look at the request and what comes next separately. Even if you say you can’t take it on, you can still greet each other tomorrow and prepare the presentation together.
- Tonight, just reread your reply — In the reply you sent, read only the part that answers the request. It doesn’t have to include tomorrow’s greeting too.
- The next day, you looked over the materials together — The next day, the two of you reviewed the presentation materials together. Saying no to the request and preparing as colleagues fit into the same scene.
Stories by Baekho
- Baekho
- Once I’ve put my child to bed, everything I need to do tomorrow comes rushing to mind.
- On the first night after the move, Mom objected.
- When the meeting ends, “I’m fine” is the first thing I say.
- I want to say how it was, not just “It was totally fine.”
- After the holiday, I count what I’ll earn after quitting at the table.
- Even on a night away alone, I keep thinking about my team member’s performance.
- They say it’s a joke, but even after the funeral, I can’t just let it go.
- Asking why in front of the mirror