What you say matters. Whether you're voicing an idea during a meeting or
making an offhand comment at lunch, everything you say adds to your overall
character.
Speaking eloquently not only improves
your daily communications, it builds up your overall persona and executive
presence. "Every verbal encounter is a vital opportunity to create and
nurture a positive impression," Hewlett writes.
Some phrases instantly undermine your
authority and professionalism, and should be banned from the office. Here are
11 things you should never say at work:
1. "Does
that make sense?"
Instead of making sure you're
understood, asking this tells the listener that you don't fully understand the
idea yourself, career coach Tara Sophia Mohr told Refinery 29. Instead, she suggests asking,
"What are your thoughts?"
2. "It's
not fair."
Simply complaining about an injustice
isn't going to change the situation. "Whether it's a troubling issue at
work or a serious problem for the planet, the point in avoiding this phrase is
to be proactive about the issues versus complaining, or worse, passively
whining," Darlene Price, author of "Well Said! Presentations
and Conversations That Get Results" told Forbes.
3. "I
haven't had time."
"More often than not, this is
simply not true," said Atle Skalleberg in a LinkedIn post. Whether you didn't make time for the
task or forgot about it, Skalleberg suggests giving a time when it will be done
instead of explaining why it's late.
4.
"Just"
Adding "just" as a filler
word in sentences, such as saying "I just want to check if..." or
"I just think that..." may seem harmless, but it can detract from
what you're saying. "We insert justs because we're worried about coming on
too strong," says Mohr, "but they make the speaker sound defensive, a
little whiny, and tentative." Leave them out, and you'll speak with more
authority.
5. "But I
sent it in an email a week ago."
If someone doesn't get back to you,
it's your job to follow up, says Skalleberg. Be proactive when communicating
instead of letting the other person take the blame.
6. "I
hate..." or "It's so annoying when..."
Insults have no place in the office,
especially when directed at a specific person or company practice. "Not
only does it reveal juvenile school-yard immaturity, it's language that is
liable and fire-able," says Price.
7.
"That's not my responsibility."
Even if it's not your specific duty,
stepping up to help shows that you're a team player and willing to go the extra
mile. "At the end of the day, we're all responsible," Skalleberg
says.
8. "You
should have..."
"Chances are, these fault-finding
words inflict feelings of blame and finger-pointing," Price says. She
suggests using a positive approach instead, such as saying, "In the
future, I recommend..."
9. "I may
be wrong, but..."
Price calls this kind of language
"discounting," meaning that it immediately reduces the impact of
whatever you're about to say. "Eliminate any prefacing phrase that demeans
the importance of who you are or lessens the significance of what you
contribute," she says.
10.
"Sorry, but..."
This implies that you're automatically
being annoying. "Don't apologize for taking up space, or for having
something to say," says Mohr.
11.
"Actually..."
