10 things you shouldn’t say at work

 

Avoiding these phrases will help you in your career.

1. Dr. Travis Bradberry, the co-founder of the testing and training company TalentSmart, said that weak

remarks and words can damage
careers.

2. "There are certain phrases that instantly change the way people see you," Dr. Bradberry said in a LinkedIn article. But avoiding these phrases is more difficult than you think. The 10 career killers you shouldn’t say at the office are:

3. "It’s not fair" (1) Everyone knows that life isn’t fair. Saying "it’s not fair" suggests that you think life should be fair, which makes you look immature and naive.

4. _______________ (2) When someone asks you to do something or thanks you for doing something, and you tell them "no problem", it suggests that their request should normally be a problem. Instead, you should show people that you’re happy to do your job. Say something like "It was my pleasure" or "I’ll be happy to take care of that."

5. ______________ (3) These passive phrases instantly make you sound less credible. Even if you have a great idea, they suggest that you don’t have much confidence. So try to avoid them. And, if you really don’t know something, say, "I don’t have that information right now, but I’ll find out."

6._________________(4) If you say that something only takes a minute, people will think that you rush your tasks. If you’re literally not going to complete the task in 60 seconds, then say that it ‘won’t take long’.

7. ______________ (5) Just like the word ‘think’, ‘try’ sounds weak and suggests that you don’t have much confidence. Be confident in your capabilities. If you’re asked to do something, either say you will do it or offer to do something different. But don’t say that you’ll try because it sounds like you won’t try very hard.

8. ______________ (6) You shouldn’t make negative remarks about a colleague. If your remark is true, everybody already knows it, so you don’t need to say it. There will always be rude or incompetent people in any workplace, and everyone probably knows who they are. If you can’t help them work better or fire them, then badmouthing them will only make you look bad.

9. ________________ (7) If you use this phrase, your boss will think that you are only interested in doing the minimum amount of work required. If your boss asks you to do something that you feel is inappropriate for your position, you should complete the task. Later, schedule a conversation with your boss to discuss your role in the company and whether your job description needs an update.

10. ______________ (8) It’s never a good idea to blame other people. If something went wrong, explain what happened in an objective way and let your boss and colleagues decide who is responsible. When you start pointing fingers, you will make people nervous. Some people will avoid working with you, and others will blame you first when something goes wrong.

11. _______________ (9) People don’t like to hear "I can’t" because they think it means that you don’t want to do something. If you really can’t do something because you don’t have the necessary skills, you need to offer a different solution. For example, instead of saying "I can’t stay late tonight," say "I can come in early tomorrow morning. Will that work?"

12. _______________ (10) The last thing anyone wants to hear at work is someone complaining about how much they hate their job. This is bad for the morale of the group and you will look like a negative person.

Adapted from The Independent, by Zlata Rodionova, 14

October 2015

I. Read the article and put each phrase above the correct paragraph like in the example.

a. "It’s not my fault."

b. "No problem."

c. "I hate this job."

d. "I think .../This may be a silly idea .../I’m going to ask a stupid question."

e. "This will only take a minute."

f. "I’ll try."

g. "He’s lazy/incompetent/a jerk."

h. "That’s not in my job description."

i. "It’s not fair."

j. "I can’t."

II. Answer the questions below.

1. Which phrase makes other people nervous?

2. Which phrase makes you look negative?

3. Which phrase makes you look lazy?

4. Which phrase makes you look like you do things too quickly and without taking care?

5. Which phrase makes other people not want to work with you?

6. Which phrase should you avoid if somebody says ‘Thank you’?

7. Which three phrases show that you are not ready or happy to do your tasks?