6 Phrases You Should Absolutely Never Say at Work
Most of us work hard at our jobs. We care about it. We want
to do our best, advance our careers and continue to support ourselves and our
families.
So do you really want to jeopardize all of that by saying
something dumb?
Of course not. And yet, people say seemingly innocuous
comments all the time that inadvertently impedes their career and hurts the
morale of everyone around them.
When it’s used: Someone
asks you for help for a task that is outside of your core job description and
you don’t really want to do. Rather than spend some time helping or just saying
no, you say this instead.
And immediately regret it.
What people hear when you say it: “I’m out for myself only.”
A better option:
If you don’t have time to help someone at that moment, tell them you can’t do
it or you can do it later. But don’t say it isn’t your job – ultimately, your
job is to help your organization win, so helping where you can is part of your
job.
2. “We’ve tried that before.”
When it’s used: Someone
– generally, someone who has been with the company for less time than you
– suggests an idea. Instead of giving historical context but hearing them
out, you shut them down with this phrase.
What people hear when you say it: Either “I don’t want to put the effort in” or “I know
everything and you know nothing”, neither one of which is particularly good.
A better option: Hear
them out. Maybe what’s being proposed has been tried, but wasn’t
done well. So let the past experience inform your next move, but there’s always
room for a new approach.
3. “There’s no budget for
that.”
When it’s used: A
person has an idea they are really passionate about. Similar to the last
example, rather than hear it out and weigh the merit, you shut it down by
saying there’s no money.
What people hear when you say it: “Keep your head down and do what’s expected.”
A better option: Great
ideas should be funded, or perhaps there is a way to do it with a minimal
budget. But killing every new idea with “there’s no budget for it” is a
surefire way to minimize your team’s creativity.
4. “I told you so.”
When it’s used: A
colleague has an idea, you say it is a bad idea, and they do it anyway. They
fail. As if that isn’t enough, you pile on top of them with this.
What people hear when you say it: “I was actively rooting against you.”
A better option: “I
told you so” has never helped anyone, and the person almost assuredly realizes
that anyway. A better option here is simple – silence.
5. “That doesn’t follow
procedure.”
When it’s used: Someone
has an idea that doesn’t jive with the standard way your company has done
things.
What people hear when you say it: “There’s only one way to do things here.”
A better option: Most
rules are not absolute and, if a procedure is blocking progress, change it.
Blindly adhering to the way things have always been done destroys innovation.
Final thought
Your career’s success depends on how well you interact with
other people. Even if you are doing your specific job well, if your attitude is
unintentionally poor or you are bringing others down, your career is going to
suffer.
Of course, no one does that on purpose, but these five
phrases can cause that by accident. Instead, avoid these five phrases, and let
your great work be what people remember most about you.
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