"No."

For such a simple word, it sure is hard to say sometimes.

It's something I personally struggle with—between being a people pleaser and not wanting to appear mean, it's sometimes difficult to say no. (And as a female professional, I especially struggle to not be perceived as the "B" word that's far too often said about assertive women in the workplace.)

I've been working on it, though. Because, sometimes, that's what the answer is. You know what helped? Having kids. You have to say no all the time with kids: for their safety ("No, don't run out to get that ball in the middle of the street!"), for their health ("No, ice cream doesn't count as dinner") and for your own sanity ("No, you can't stay up late—it would make Elsa, Bluey and Spiderman so sad that they would run away and never come back!").

I'm far from the only one who sometimes finds it hard to say "no." According to Psychology Today, many people find it difficult because they have a fear of conflict or don't want to disappoint someone.

For property managers, saying "no" can sometimes be hard as well for the reasons above (and also throw in a dash of "the customer is always right" mentality). But sometimes it's necessary. For example, maybe they're requesting to use their unit as an Airbnb while they're on vacation, but that goes against their lease agreement. Or they ask to be able to pay rent late again (without having a valid reason). Or they're trying to claim that their 3-ft python is their emotional support animal even though they present no supporting documentation.

So how can property managers overcome the difficulty and lean in to saying "no" when necessary? Here are a few tips.

Give them the reason. As with kids, we're not saying no just to annoy them (OK, sometimes with kids we are). Maybe they want to put up shelves in their unit, but that will damage the walls. Or they want to reserve a common area for a party, but a "scream at the top of your lungs at 3 a.m. event" might disturb some of the other residents. It'll be easier for you to say no—and easier for residents to accept the answer—when you have a good reason.

Read the full blog.