Things You Should Never Say at Work
If you wanna get ahead at work – watch your mouth! Here are a few sentences that should NEVER come out of your mouth when you’re with your boss and your fellow coworkers.
- “I can’t do this.” Lois P. Frankel is a workplace expert. And she says rather than saying you CAN’T do something, figure out what it’ll take to make it happen. Then tell your boss, “I’d be happy to do that for you. Here’s how much time, money and manpower it’s going to take to do it right.”
- Never say, “Are you questioning my judgment?” You don’t ever want to get defensive when a coworker challenges you. Tell them you appreciate their opinion, and explain why you still believe your approach is the right one.
- "We can try it your way, but don’t blame me if it doesn’t work.” You might not share someone else’s vision, but Frankel says you should look for SOME common ground. For example, you can say, “I agree that things need to change, but I have different ideas than you. Let’s see how we can come together on this”.
- Don’t say, “You never...” If you have to confront a colleague about something, avoid generalizations. Telling them, “You never return my emails,” or, “You never say anything positive,” only implies that the person is incapable of making a change.
- “Ugh! I have such a hangover!” In general, it’s best to keep your off-hour escapades to yourself. It doesn’t make you seem cool – just irresponsible. And irresponsible people don’t get promoted.
