Politely Decline That Networking Request
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Tip
As many of us begin to transition back to in-person work, we’re bound to get an influx of invitations to "catch up over coffee." But all of these face-to-face get-togethers can be overwhelming and aren’t always a great use of your time and energy. How can you say no to these requests without jeopardizing your relationships with coworkers and other professional contacts?
Be realistic about how many hours you can allocate to these types of networking meetings. If having yet another informal coffee date would cut into other commitments that matter more to you, then politely decline. It’s tempting to ignore the request or give an insincere "sure" without intending to follow through, but it’s better to give an honest and graceful rejection.
Explain that you’re stretched at the moment and you don’t currently have time, but that you’d like to stay in touch. If this is someone you want to maintain a relationship with, you can also suggest a time to chat that works better with your schedule or offer to connect over the phone or via video instead.
But, remember, it’s OK to set boundaries as long as you communicate them with kindness and sincerity.
Translations
🇨🇳 礼貌地拒绝社交请求
当我们中的许多人开始过渡到面对面的工作时，我们一定会收到大量的邀请去“喝杯咖啡”。 但是所有这些面对面的聚会可能会让人不知所措，而且并不总是能充分利用你的时间和精力。 你怎么能拒绝这些要求而不损害你与同事和其他专业人士的关系？
对于你可以分配给这类社交会议的时间要现实一些。如果再约一次非正式的咖啡会打断你其他更重要的事情，那么礼貌地拒绝吧。忽略对方的要求或给出一个不真诚的“肯定”，而又不想坚持到底是很诱人的，但最好给出一个诚实而优雅的拒绝。
向对方解释你现在很忙，没有时间，但是你想和他们保持联系。如果对方是你想要维持关系的人，你也可以建议一个更适合你日程安排的聊天时间，或者通过电话或视频来代替。
但是，记住，只要你用善意和真诚沟通，就可以设定界限。
