Decline with three components

When declining requests, state three components explicitly: what you're declining, why (the priority being protected), and an alternative when appropriate—never just 'I'm busy.'

When This Fires

When any request arrives that conflicts with your current priorities
When the instinct is to say "I'm too busy" without specifying what you're protecting
When declining feels uncomfortable — the three-component structure provides a professional framework
Complements Acknowledge, boundary, alternative — this three-part… (acknowledge-boundary-alternative) and Surface trade-offs with forced-choice (forced-choice trade-offs) for the specific decline context

Common Failure Mode

Vague decline: "I wish I could but I'm slammed right now." This communicates: temporary capacity issue that might resolve soon. The requester returns next week. Structured decline: "I'm unable to take on the market research this quarter because I'm focused on the product launch. Could we revisit in Q2, or would you like me to suggest someone who might be available now?" This communicates: strategic decision, clear timeline, and a path forward.

The Protocol

(1) When declining a request, state three components: What: "I'm declining [specific request]." Be precise about what you're saying no to. Why: "To protect [specific priority I'm working on]." Name the priority — this demonstrates strategic reasoning, not capacity limitation. Alternative: "Here's what I can offer instead: [different timing, different person, modified scope]." (2) Keep it concise — one to three sentences total. Over-explanation signals guilt and invites negotiation. (3) If no alternative exists: "I'm declining [request] to protect [priority]. I don't have an alternative to suggest, but I wanted to be straightforward about the trade-off."