Guest post by Meta Staff Engineer, Sidwyn Koh

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Sidwyn Koh, a Staff Engineer at Meta, shares strategies on how software engineers can politely say 'no' to save time and focus on their most impactful work. He outlines four approaches: Direct, Redirect, Change Their Perspective, and Stonewall. Additional tips include communicating boundaries, involving managers when overwhelmed, setting focus blocks, documenting knowledge, and balancing when to say 'no' and 'yes.' These tactics help manage responsibilities and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

How to say "No" and win back your time as a software engineer

<p>This one resonates with me: “You should say no, when you need focus time.” So obvious, but also so hard to do.</p>
