"The best general is the one who never fights"- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Insight: When saying "no" if someone refuses to respect it, it may be best to firstly stand your ground and underscore the "no", before resorting to a plan B.
Insight: Repeat your No, often if necessary. Failing that, remind the other party the consequences of not respecting your No. If this does not work, then deploy a Plan B.
"build a golden bridge for your opponent to retreat across."- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Insight: The advice from Sun Tzu can be reframed more positively: build a golden bridge for others to advance across toward a positive solution.
Insight: If you put yourself in the other's shoes, it may be initially difficult for the other to say Yes to a proposal - the gap may be too wide.
Principle: Look for steps towards a positive solution that might bring both sides together.