What Pakistan can learn from Bangladesh?

 

Make no mistake. Bangladesh is by no means a developed country by any standard imaginable. Even after making some modest achievements on social fronts, its indicators are still far from that of developed countries. On the Human Development Index, Bangladesh rests at 0.632x with the ranking of 133 out of 170 countries. Bangladesh is still considered as one of the poorest countries of the world, though thankfully, not one of the ten poorest countries. These irrefutable facts require no explanation and speak volume about quality of life in Bangladesh. These are grim realities of Bangladesh. But are they the only realities?

On the flip side, Bangladesh, today, is an emerging Asian tiger. Its GDP growth rate is anticipated to be around 8% in 2020, which is even greater than that of India, the third largest Asian economy. With a population growth rate of 1% (most recent) and rising per capita income, Bangladesh is expected to shun its “Least Developed Country (LDC)” status within a short span of five years.      

 Ever wondered how a feeble country, which was once a poor part of Pakistan and mockingly dubbed as a basket case by none other than Henry Kissinger former US National Security Advisor and Secretary of State and wracked by poverty, famine and horrible natural disasters, emerged as the Asia’s most enviable success stories in the recent times.

 Bangladesh was once a part of Pakistan and famously called East Pakistan. As a result of political upheaval and military intervention, it was disintegrated and became an independent and sovereign country in December 1971. Within a short span of 3 decades, Bangladesh enjoys an annual GDP growth rate in excess of that of Pakistan by around 2.5pc per annum. Its growth rate is expected to outshine India’s by a far margin (although India’s economic slowdown is mostly responsible for its declining growth rate). Additionally, Bangladesh’s population growth rate (1.1pc) is lower than that of Pakistan (2.2pc). It translated into a growing per capita income as compared with that of Pakistan.   

 These are no small achievements for a country, which came into existence merely 48 years ago. It offers a lot of insights to probe for Pakistan. What miracles Bangladesh has performed, which Pakistan could not and therefore it still swam in the back water? A careful scrutiny will reveal that, among other things, three factors have played an instrumental role for meteoric rise of Bangladesh’s economic and social progress: women empowerment, business-friendly government policies and a curb on population growth. Each of these factors deserves a careful analysis.    

 Women Empowerment: No other South Asian country can match Bangladesh in terms of women empowerment and gender equality. One of the core strengths of Bangladesh is its working women. It is no miracle that Bangladesh has achieved an enviable success in improving the lives of its women and girls. Today, its maternal mortality and fertility rates follow downward trend, while there is significant gender parity in school enrolment. On the flip side, around 82pc of Bangladeshi married women suffer violence and sexual harassment, which prevent them from performing their due role in national progress. Bangladesh is still infamous in South Asia for getting its girls married before the age of 18. 

Thanks to the tireless of efforts of governments and non-governmental organization like Grameen Bank and BRAC (Building Resources Across Communities), Bangladesh has made monumental contribution towards educating girls and giving women economic opportunities, both within home and in the public domain. Full credit goes to the government on massively investing in the primary education. More importantly, girls’ education was given a top priority. Resultantly, it hardly came as a surprise that more and more women are entering into job markets. Today, over 80% of organized textile sector jobs are occupied by women. Let us compare these realities with the state of affairs in Pakistan. Just one irrefutable fact is enough. Pakistan occupies 151th place out of 153 countries on the global gender parity index. Need to say more?

 Business friendly government policies: Until 1970s, Bangladesh was an agrarian economy. However, the transition form an agrarian economy to an export oriented industrialization economy within a short span of two decades is no miracle, but a result of foresightedness, determination and of course business friendly government policies. It is the government’s effective policies, with almost no international attention, Bangladesh has become an emerging Asian Tiger and its garment industry is only second to China’s. The famine of the year 1974 had taught Bangladesh the need to attain self-sufficiency in food production for its people. Its per capital income has risen threefold since year 2009, exceeding $2068 in February 2020. Its number of people living in abject poverty-classified as under $1.25 per day- has reduced from a whopping 19% in 2009 to 9% in 2019, according to World Bank. This year Bangladesh has a reason to celebrate as it met UN criteria for transition from its “least developed country” status by the year 2024. According to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the upgradation to the “developing economy” status means a momentous boost to the country’s self-image.

Business friendly policies also paid off on many economic fronts. With focus on manufacturing sector, especially garments industry, Bangladesh’s exports have seen unprecedented growth of 15-17% in the recent times to reach at $46.36 Billion in 2019 ($40.56 Billion for 2018). It has set an export target of $50 Billion for the year 2021 to mark the 50^th anniversary of war of independence. In order to further strengthen its manufacturing base, Bangladeshi government has an ambitious plan to develop over 100 special economic zones (SEZs) around the country.   

According to the London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), Bangladesh’s economy ranks 40^th position among 193 countries and will graduate to 25^th in 2034.    

Curb on population growth: Like most of the developing countries, unchecked population growth was also a major challenge for Bangladesh. Today. Bangladesh is the fifth most populous country in Asia and eight-most populous in the world. It attributed mostly to the high fertility rate coupled with low mortality rates in the past. Secondly, at least 43% of its population is below the age of 15 years in 1997, while 46% of the female population was in the reproductive age (between 15 to 49 years).

No Bangladeshi government turned a blind eye to the population explosion since 1970s. To control the uncontrolled population growth was always among the top agenda of all the successive governments. Bangladesh also got benefitted from government pioneering policies. Post 1970s, a community based method was implemented by Bangladesh. As per this method, it recruited married, literate village women trained in basic family palling techniques to go door-to-door educating women the use of contraceptive pills and condoms. These women acted as a bridge between poor Bangladeshi women and modern medical facilities. Being literate and villagers, they have the capacity to win the confidence of other poor women. On its part, government also massively invested in girl’s education. Resultantly, education delays marriage and childbearing and ornate women with knowledge, status and confidence to have adequate control over their loves. In the 70s decade, Bangladeshi social planners coined a phrase: “Development is the best contraceptive.” It requires no elaboration. If you developed a society with raised literacy and income, alleviated poverty, disease and hunger, provided decent jobs and housing facilities and above all, raised the standard of living of its common men- people will generally found no reason to extend their families and fertility rates would shrink.

In contrast to Bangladesh’s multipronged strategies, Pakistan, in the 1960s, adopted just one form of contraception-the intrauterine device (IUD). Needless to say, with corruption, political unwillingness and a lack of basic education and training, it yielded poor results. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, the issue of population planning has taken a back seat. None of the quarter, worth a mention, raised its voice against this unchecked explosion.    

It is the high time for Pakistan to do some introspection and ponder as why we could not make our presence felt in the world community on development fronts. We prided ourselves on being the world’s 7^th nuclear power, but we could not match Bangladesh’s achievements, let alone surpass it. If we continue to be indifferent and have insensitive attitude towards economic growth, education and women empowerment, the day is not far when countries like Nigeria, Rwanda and Ethiopia will outshine Pakistan in terms of development and progress.

 

Source

Human Development Report 2020,

2.       IMF Executive Board Concludes 2019 Article IV Consultation with Bangladesh,

3.       https://www.fortuneindia.com/polemicist/bangladesh-the-economic-miracle-of-the-year/103950,

4.       https://www.khaleejtimes.com/khaleej-times-dubai-uae-dhaka-bangladesh

5.       https://www.christenseninstitute.org/blog/sustaining-bangladeshs-economic-miracle/

6.       https://www.usaid.gov/bangladesh/gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment

7.       https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/why-is-bangladesh-booming/

8.       https://www.allianz.com/en/press/extra/knowledge/demography/090808-population-control-why-bangladesh-iran-beat-pakistan.html

9.       http://bankofinfo.com/population-growth-in-bangladesh/

10.   Nikkei Asian Review DECEMBER 19, 2018

How much money is too much?

How much money is too much?

Agreed that money cannot buy you happiness, but the lack of it can buy you a lot of misery, frustration and dejection. Further agreed that, by money, you can buy books not the knowledge, buy medicine not the health, and buy tranquilizers not the sleep. You cannot buy everything by money, but you cannot have everything without it.

Does it ever occur to you as what is money? Not a single day passes when we do not use money. So we must know what it is and how it works …do we? On the surface, money is nothing but a piece of paper. Isn’t it? You cannot eat it, drink it or even sleep on it. Yet money is also one of the most powerful things in the world, for a very simple reason, we have collectively decided to make it so. It would be a plain lie if one denies the need of money. It would, however, be equally a fallacy if one treats money everything.

Mark H. McCormack, the author of the bestselling, What they Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School, has also aptly summarize the role and nature of money in two commandments that say “Never underestimate the importance of money” and “Don’t overestimate the value of money”. In today’s highly competitive and materialistic society, money has become a single yardstick of success. The more money you have, the more successful you will be deemed. And this is not necessarily a correct concept. In today’s world, acquisition of goods and money to buy more goods are usually considered as the ultimate aim in life. More clothes, more shoes, latest tablet, latest smart phone and latest of everything … the list is endless. On a broader level, spacious homes, luxury cars and world tours… dreams are limitless. So, how much money is enough? Or put it simply, can money be ever enough? It may be a painful realization, but many of us have already touched that point of saturation – either with consumptions or investments, where acquiring more money for personal use does not make sense. Even having more money is not a panacea or a source of joy. There are many people who have more money than time and willingness to spend and yet they are still not happy. It is not uncommon that many millionaires and billionaires have even committed suicides out of dejection and boredom.

So, the question still persists as how much money is too much. Its rightful and appropriate answer can be given in the form of a question. How much money is enough money? This answer was given by none other than American industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller. “Just a little bit more” was John D. Rockefeller response to the question. At the peak of his fortune, Rockefeller had a personal net worth equivalent to one percent of total US economy. Over 90% of US oil and gas industry was owned by him. Today’s corporate honchos like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are nothing more than paupers to Rockefeller. Yet he wanted “just a little bit more”.

It is worth a careful analysis as what enough is. Needless to mention, enough is not an amount. It is an attitude. Money can be a wonderful toy. However, if let loose, it may become a ruthless tyrant. Money can serve as a medium of exchange and storehouse of wealth. Whenever one grows in life, one exchanges his work, time and knowledge with money. Unless you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you are destined to work relentlessly to make ends meet for food, shelter, education and healthcare. It is hard to imagine that you can earn so much wealth that you need not worry about your present and future. In this case, you attain a “financial independence”. It is at this point of financial independence that can safely be called “enough”. It is even harder to imagine having more money than you could possibly spend it.

There are countless examples in our world where one amasses unbridled wealth without having a desire to spend them. In this case, earning money is not a pleasure, it is a punishment. It is always better to let the money do its functions – be a medium of exchange and storehouse of value. It is always appropriate that you define money in terms of its functions. The moment you let money define you, you are gone. You can either let money be your servant or let money make you a servant. 

Larry Swedroe and Kevin Grogan, in their new book “Reducing the Risk of Black Swans: Using the Science of Investing to Capture Returns with Less Volatility”, have tried to answer the crucial question of how much money is too much. The answer, however, varies for person to person, but it bubbles down to following three question: 

At what level are your needs satisfied? It deals with the question of how much money you need to satisfy your basic needs and maintain a decent lifestyle. It measures your appetite for taking risk. The more you turn your desires into needs, the more risk you need to take in your investment portfolio to back your lifestyle. No risks no returns. Simple.

Are you aware of Marginal Utility of Wealth? In the process of accumulating wealth, there comes a point when increase in your wealth does not increase your happiness or satisfaction level. At that point, it makes little sense to add to your fortune. It is always better to think in terms of marginal utility of wealth – how much incremental wealth is justified in relation to associated risk that must be accepted to achieve a higher return.

Are you taking too much risk or too little risk? Once you have reached at the level of financial independence, your priority should be less on increasing and more on maintaining it. It is of utmost importance to minutely scrutinize how much risk you are taking. It always pays to understand that the strategies to get rich are entirely different from the strategies to stay rich. You can take risks to get rich, but to stay rich, you need to minimize or diversify the risks.

Money may bring happiness. But it is common man’s mantra. Those who are spiritually abundant always find happiness in the service of others. The happiness you feel after removing the miseries of others is beyond measurement. The American Universalist clergyman and theological writer Hosea Ballou has aptly written, “Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for its counterfeit.”

References

• https://www.bankrate.com/financing/wealth/how-much-money-is-too-much/
• https://www.wilsonfield.co.uk/the-work-life-balance-how-much-money-is-too-much/
• https://www.thefrugalgene.com/much-money-bad/
• https://www.thebalance.com/how-much-money-does-it-take-to-be-rich-358043
• https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/10/02/do-you-have-too-much-cash.aspx
• https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/blogs/2017/12/10/how-much-money-enough/930449001/

Life after Covid-19 pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities

The world has experienced and continue to experience the wrath of coronavirus pandemic since December 2019. Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is a transferable disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Its severity and gravity are nothing less than the mayhem created by detonation of nuclear weapons over twin Japanese cities by USA in 1945. The world will never forget the magnitude and scale of this menace, which can be rated at par with the greatest catastrophes known to human history.  

Although it would be premature to say that this pandemic has culminated, it would also be incorrect if it is considered as far from over. In view of the developments of various vaccines and treatments of Covid-19, its beginning of the end is in sight. No doubt, this horrible pandemic has caused irreplaceable human sufferings and incalculable economic losses. It would be a myopic view if one focused only on the cost and forgot its benefits in the shape of new challenges and opportunities. It would be naïve to expect that the world today will return to the world that was before Covid-19. Human lifestyle can be categorized into two dimensions: before Covid-19 and after Covid-19. In this paper, I make an attempt to discuss the challenges and opportunities, offered by the pandemic, in two broad areas i.e. global economy and healthcare. 

 The Covid-19 pandemic had exposed the vulnerabilities of global economy painfully as acute supply chains weaken, unemployment rises and markets fluctuates. The 18th and 19th century industrial revolution proved fatal not only for ecological systems in view of worsening of biodiversity, soil degradation, deforestation, abundant use of insecticides, toxic waste in water and burning of fossil fuel. It also widened the gulf between the haves and have nots. According to Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, the primary purpose of business is to earn profit out of self-interest. However, now common interest, instead of self-interest, should take precedence. Gone are the days when profit maximization was considered the sole aim of every business. This is an outdated and shallow concept anymore. Today’s Economic man is defined to be driven by both self-interest and common interest. 

Covid-19 pandemic also saw the unprecedented rise of digital economy. It presents a remarkable opportunity to capitalize on the world wide networks of global economic activities, transactions and specialized connections that are empowered by information and communication technologies (ICT). Other factors may also speed up like regionalization of supply chain management and international data flows. Work culture around the world, in the post pandemic scenario, has also been redefined. It offers new challenges (read opportunities) like income disparity, worker exploitation and work from home culture mostly for white color jobs. The new trends can partly be credited to the rise of digital economy. However, the role of health concerns, security and economic factors like labor availability cannot be overlooked. 

Another global trend, although prevalent well before the world experienced Covid-19 pandemic, has gained momentum is deglobalization. Deglobalization refers to the concept of shift from global just-in-time supply chains. Covid-19 pandemic has unleashed the hidden selfishness of major economies, which are now focusing on nationalism, regionalism and “my country first”. 

There are now mounting concerns about what the life post Covid-19 will look like. Covid-19 pandemic had done an irreparable damage on the emotional side of humanity. The fears of Covid-19 present monumental challenges and opportunities. It can affect worker’s creative talents and ability to stay innovative. The ramifications and negative spillover of this pandemic will be felt for a longer period to come. As a result of it, business organizations must acknowledge the long term trends created by this pandemic and adapt themselves to remain profitable through these interesting times. How organizations succeed and thrive in these difficult times will be litmus test for their survival. 

Ever noticed, how incredible it is that it took a deadly virus pandemic to let the world realize the importance of public healthcare. Since Covid-19 pandemic has engulfed the globe completely, global healthcare has emerged as the eventual and final global public good. Before the coronavirus crisis, healthcare was considered a private good. However this pandemic has changed this mindset and forced the world to treat healthcare as a global free public good. It has placed this undeniable fact in broad daylight that conquering Covid-19 and recovering from it depends on how much priority we attach to the global free healthcare for all, everywhere, swiftly and always. It is impossible to deny that Covid-19 pandemic caused not only an economic crisis but also a healthcare crisis. 

Even in severe recessions, healthcare sector remained immune in the past. The global demand of medical care has remained unchanged since people faces sickness and require medical treatment. But Covid-19 proved this truth incorrect. Since peoples are asked to follow SMS i.e. Social distancing, Masking and using Sanitizers, most of the peoples are preferring to stay home and avoid outside contacts. It also includes those people with an urgent medical care in any other discipline. As long as the world is busy in finding the vaccine or cure to combat Covid-19, the way forward we follow with physical products and service will transform. It will be deemed desirable to refrain from to touch and be touched. 

Apart from physical health and economical problems, Covid-19 pandemic has also done havoc to mental health of peoples. The horrible feeling of being lonely, helplessness and lack of support continue to haunt, especially to those who have lost their dear ones, or may not have a job or support to turn to. Another point to consider is the universal uncertainty, fuelled by conspiracy theories, of what lies ahead has generated a worsened level of anxiety and frustration. A survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, reveals that around 50% of US populace believes that the Covid-19 crisis is affecting their mental health. 

Solving these economic and healthcare challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities associated with the Covid-19 pandemic will play an instrumental role for the progress and development of humanity around the globe. Life does not need to be scary after this pandemic. We all need to strive to turn the challenges into opportunities. It is the need of the hour and cry of the day. 

References

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/650245-covid-19-challenges-and-opportunities https://tribune.com.pk/story/2209242/covid-19-challenges-opportunities https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2020/06/how-will-the-world-be-different-after-COVID-19.htm 

https://upcea.edu/a-glimpse-into-the-future-economy-after-the-pandemic/ https://healthmanagement.org/c/cardio/news/covid-19-and-its-impact-on-the-healthcare-economy https://www.forbes.com/sites/soulaimagourani/2020/05/29/life-after-covid-19/#7dead7b9344a https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-05/yunus-in-wake-of-pandemic-we-must-create-a-better-world.html

How to say NO without saying NO?

 

How to say NO without saying NO? 

On the way to my office the other day, I received a call on my cell phone from my bestie, Zeeshan. He yelled to inquire about my availability for watching a movie on the weekend. Fully cognizant of the fact that I have to make presentations for my company’s upcoming board meeting, I heard myself saying yes and, after some exchange of pleasantries, I hung up the phone. Deep down in my heart, I was fully convinced that I have no intention of keeping my promise.  This is one of the countless incidences where we felt ashamed of saying no, even if we mean it.

Ever wondered, how difficult it is to say no to somebody? Irrespective of social norms, values, culture, ethnicity and language, saying no is often considered as impolite and rude. Even if someone calls you to accompany him for a walk in the night, you cannot say that that time is when I prefer to be with myself only. What to say about our right to be ourselves? Say no to someone seems like being aggressor and rejecting other. Who wants to be an aggressor or rejected by someone? Whether you are a salesman or a chairman, of 25 years of age or 85, in a classroom of Uganda or a boardroom of USA and in personal life or professional life, saying no will remain a daunting task, you will love to avoid.  

According to academic coach Mary McKinney, PhD, who published Successful Academic News, saying no is a more challenging task for women because of their societal pressure to be likeable all the times. As always, there are exceptions. Some people can say “no” without any feeling of guilt. Those who have a natural tendency of saying “yes” to whatever somebody else says, will eventually regret their saying so in future. If saying “no” upsets you, you are an agreeable person. Nothing wrong with that. Our society needs more of agreeable persons. However, this agreeable personality should not be at the cost of your own peace of mind, convenience or luxury. After all, if you do not take the responsibility of your peace of mind and convenience, who else will.

It is to be noted that there is nothing wrong in saying “no”. The only thing matters is how you say it. Below are some simple strategies which might be helpful in saying no without saying no.  

Be polite but firm: Mind it, you do not need to offer lame excuses. It will provide an opportunity to the other person for molding you. What is important is that you should have a clear vision for your decision, be it a yes or no. If you feel necessary, you may opt to provide a brief explanation. However, it is always better to say lesser.  

Be aware of the consequences of saying yes: Saying yes to the little requests requiring our 5-10 minutes seems no big deal. In fact, it is the demand of being courteous and considerate and a symbol of civic sense and sensibility. However, these little amounts of time pile up over time to become big obstruction on your way to growth and success. It is no wonder that top executives, despite being busy in their hectic work schedule, always find time to spend with their families, read books or watch movies or just do whatever they want to do in their leisure time. These people understand the anathema of saying yes to every little request coming in their way. They know how to plan their time and use it in desired fashion. Noted Billionaire and investor Warren Buffet aptly said, “The difference between successful and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything”.

Know that saying no is no crime: Agreed that being selfish is not correct socially, culturally and ethically. You need to realize that being 100% selfless is also counter-productive. You have the right to think about yourself, feel about yourself and be with yourself. We feel ashamed of saying no as other person will feel bad or will be angry. Unfortunately these are mere self-created illusions. If other person is open-minded, sincere and caring, he will surely feel your situation and let it go. One of the most unpredictable things in life is life itself. In our daily life, some situations demand that we say no in a plain, loud and clear way. Saying no is not an issue. What matters is how you say it.

Use of medium matters: Although poorly understood, choice of medium matters a lot. The choice of an appropriate medium to convey your message – face-to-face, emailing, SMS, social media, phone call or even others speaks a lot about your sense of respect and courtesy level. Sometimes sending a SMS or a Whatsapp message cannot be acceptable, when a face-to-face meeting is required. Wisdom lies in the choice of an appropriate medium in a particular scenario.

Simplicity is the key to everything: It usually pays to be simple. In business parlance, you must have heard the term KISS-“Keep it simple stupid.” The same principle can easily be applied to your personal life. In this fast-paced and dynamic world, nobody has the time to scrutinize or investigate a complex answers. Just keep it simple – let the other person know that you are not able to entertain his request. A brief explanation is desirable but definitely not essential. There is no need to over-explain a scenario when a simple message of “I am afraid I would not be able to do it. My apologies.” can work.

Saying no does not mean being disrespectful: We usually assume that by saying no to someone, we appear to be disrespectful or inconsiderate to say the least. Thankfully, this is far from reality. When we say no to someone politely and firmly, we send a message that we mean what we say and say what we mean. Saying no is, by no means, being disrespectful. It is the manner in which we say so determines our respect level.

Offer an alternative if feasible: If you have to say no to someone and still want to facilitate him, it is always welcoming to offer an alternative whenever possible. It will cast a good image of yours over the other. Your courtesy and sincerity will be valued. If someone asks you for company for a movie on Saturday and you have appointments on that day, why not propose Sunday?

 Less accessible or more reachable: Being available all the time for all and sundry is neither useful nor tasteful. Being less accessible has its own sense of mystery and curiosity. Whenever you are bombarded with innumerable requests, take your time to respond them according to your schedule and convenience. Your prompt response to every request will send a signal that you are always available whenever you are required, which is of course not correct.

 Jot down your response first: Confused about how to say no to someone? It is always a good practice to jot down the main points of your response. Writing will ease your tension and will succour your peace of mind. It will also be helpful in articulating a proper response to someone’s request.

 Delay your response: Whenever your response in not positive about a request, it is always better to delay it as long as possible. Sometimes, delay in replying to a request means you are not very keen on it. However, there is a word of caution. Delaying an urgent or important request may prove fatal for your relationship with the other person.    

 No reply is also a form of reply: Just as your silence implies your consent, your no response to a request is also a form of your response, which is usually not positive. Although it is always courteous and modest to write a personal, customized message, leaving a request unattended signifies that you are less interested in it. If you have said no to a request and the person still persists, then no response is probably the best response.

 It takes courage to say no as saying yes is very easy, everybody can say yes, observed former British Prime Minister-Tony Blair. The skill of saying no teaches us an important and vital aspect of embracing what is urgent and important and discarding the rest for a healthy and fulfilled life. Saying no may be awkward for you but not saying no at the appropriate moment may prove disastrous for you. Saying no politely and firmly can save you a lot of unwanted hassles. As the former CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc, Steve Jobs, has aptly said that it is only by saying “No” that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.

References

https://www.inc.com/jonathan-alpert/7-ways-to-say-no-to-someone-and-not-feel-bad-about-it.html

https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/11/say-no

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/grammar-vocabulary/story/10-ways-to-politely-say-no-1505465-2019-04-19

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/saying-no/

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/problems-saying-11-ready-tips-say-others.html

https://www.fastcompany.com/40519741/what-happened-when-i-avoided-saying-no-problem-for-a-month

https://psychcentral.com/blog/is-it-hard-for-you-to-say-no/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/micahsolomon/2015/11/01/watch-customer-service-experts-heads-explode-when-you-say-no-problem/#275bf5a715ff