Saying No Well: How Pushing Back Can Move Your Team Forward

As a Tech Leader, you’re expected to deliver, support your team, and respond to stakeholders — often all at once. But if everything is a yes, your priorities disappear. This interactive workshop gives you the practical skills to say “no” with clarity, confidence, and respect. You’ll learn how to use William Ury’s Positive No framework to assert boundaries without damaging relationships — whether you're pushing back on a teammate’s last-minute request, a product manager’s scope creep, or a VP’s unrealistic timeline.

You’ll also practice two key FLOW skills that make it easier to say no when the pressure’s on: how to Let It Go—releasing guilt, fear, or the urge to over-explain—and how to Focus with Breath to stay calm and grounded before high-stakes conversations. Through real-world scenarios and hands-on practice, you’ll walk away with language you can use immediately—and the confidence to say no in a way that protects your time, clarifies priorities, and actually helps your team succeed.

About Hunter Milligan

Hunter has worked and consulted at Fortune 500 companies and has experienced the full spectrum of challenges in software development. As a long time developer turned manager, he’s navigated the high-stress chaos of tight deadlines, shifting priorities, and working with diverse personalities.

For the past 15+ years, Hunter has been coaching teams and individuals to not only survive but thrive. His secret sauce? Practical strategies and easy-to-use meditation techniques tailored to the daily lives of developers and managers. Hunter is focused on assisting engineers to find calm in the chaos, boost productivity, and think with newfound clarity — all while remembering to breathe. After all, the code may be complicated, but staying calm doesn’t need to be.

When not traveling the states or the rest of the world, Hunter greatly enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, and tai chi.

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