In many environments instead of #1 "Say No", you may be better to say "I'd like to understand". Then listen & ask questions, until you've fully heard their pro

In many environments instead of #1 "Say No", you may be better to say "I'd like to understand". Then listen & ask questions, until you've fully heard their problem and can propose a preferable alternative and what design values it better aligns with. (If you can't answer immediately, tell them you're really interested and will look into it & get back to them in eg. two days.) In larger environments architecture can be like steering a vast river using a small wooden paddle.