9 things you should always say no to at work

You deserve to know what is expected of you and what you're working toward — something I didn't always do at my first job.

A survey by the Harvard Business Review found that 65% of respondents said meetings kept them from getting work done, and 71% said meetings were "unproductive and inefficient."

Work is important, but so is having a social life — boundaries clarify when one ends and the other begins. Formal boundaries, like France's ban on after-hours emails and New York City's proposed ban, which would also include instant messages, illustrate this shifting view toward work-life balance.

Lump in the back of your throat? That's probably when to draw the line.

There's a difference between asking employees to hustle and demanding the impossible. And agreeing to projects that you can't deliver on reflects poorly on your performance. As Karen Dillon, co-author of "How Will You Measure Your Life?," told the Harvard Business Review, you'll want to figure out "whether it's feasible for you to help," given your priorities and workload.

When that happens, "it's in everyone's best interest to bow out early," writes career and workplace expert Anne Fisher for Fortune. But according to legal website Nolo, some states require employers to provide certain information about an employee, so make sure you're aware of the rules.

There's no need to pile on if it will detract from the quality of your work.

When I started working, I often asked several people for help with tasks before finding the right person for the job. Recognizing that you may not be the right person saves everyone time.

Saying "no" is a part of being a working professional. But there is a right way to do it: Make the reason for your rejection known and, if you can, offer a solution or alternative. That way, you don't have to sacrifice on the quality of your work or overschedule yourself and everyone involved knows what to expect.