There are a few career and team limiting phrases that tend to jeopardize one’s professional image, likelihood for promotion, and overall team health. When used by the speaker, the words may seem harmless. However, to the listener, they reveal a negative attitude and unprofessional demeanor. Below are six phrases you should avoid in the workplace.
1. “It’s not fair.”
Injustice is a common occurrence in the workplace and in the world at large. It could be your colleague can work from home but you can’t. They got a promotion and you didn’t. Life is not fair and you are going to run into situations at work that highlight how unfair life is. What you want to avoid is using this phrase to stay in a place of complaining and whining. Take a more effective approach in dealing with office injustice. Instead, build a case by documenting the facts and present an intelligent argument to the person or group who can help you.
2. “That’s not my job.”
Even if this statement is technically true. Statements like this give the impression that you don’t care. An unconcerned and self-serving attitude will quickly limit your career advancement opportunities or sabotage others perception of you. Instead, articulate your thoughts in a more thoughtful and productive fashion. For example, if your supervisor delegates an unreasonable task to you, rather than saying, “That’s not my job,” instead say, “I’d love to help. I currently have X deadline to complete my current tasks of A, B, and C, which one of these should I place on hold to work on this new assignment?” This response positions you as a team player but also makes your current workload clear and the need to set realistic expectations.
3. “But we’ve always done it that way.”
Successful professionals value creative thinking, innovation, thought leadership, and problem solving. This phrase reveals that you are closed-minded and that you don’t value innovation. Consider using a different approach such as: “That’s an interesting idea. How would that work?” Or, “That’s a different approach. Let’s discuss the pros and cons.”
4. “There’s nothing I can do.”
Even when a situation looks bleak, promote a can- do attitude. Saying “There’s nothing I can do” is the easy way out. There is always something you can do. With some additional thought, you can come up with what you can do. When you make the mistake of saying a negative phrase like this one, your words convey a hopeless outlook. This type of approach is seldom valued in the workplace. Instead, use your words to communicate what you can contribute to the situation. Share something like, “What I can do is this,” “Give me a little time to think of how I can help,” or, “Let’s discuss what’s possible under these circumstances.”
5. “You could have…”
The workplace isn’t kind to those who like to point fingers and inflict feelings of blame. Instead of making someone feel guilty for poor behavior or wrong action, take a graceful approach. Examples of graceful comebacks are: “Next time, to ensure proper planning, please bring this to my attention right away.” Or, “Moving forward, I recommend…”
6. “You guys.”
“You guys.” has a derogatory connotation when used. Reserve this language for informal conversation outside of the workplace. Substitute this phrase with specific references like “the organization” or “this team” or simply “you.”
These career and team limiting words come up often. When you catch yourself using them, pause and start over. It may be difficult to eliminate them overnight but the change first starts with awareness. The rest will happen over time.
Can you think of other phrases that hinder a positive work environment? Comment below and share your ideas.