V7.33: Phrases to Never Say at Work

A positive attitude can go a long way in a business setting. How you choose to present yourself and interact with others will drastically affect your working relationships. Communication is everything and there are certain phrases you should avoid at all costs.

Let’s jump into a great article on Entrepreneur.com that gives us 5 of those phrases to avoid!

1. “That is not my job.” More often than not, co-workers ask us to do things outside of our typical scope of work. And while that is sometimes okay because these requests provide opportunity to grow, it should not be the norm. How do you respond to that? Try calming your voice and speaking in a level way. Instead of flat out shutting them down, try to explain your responsibilities and then offer to help if there is time later. That way, you are at least showing empathy to your colleague and a solution-oriented mindset. 
2. “I don’t know.” This one might not be obvious to you. You’d think it’d be a good idea to be upfront if you don’t know how to do something, right? Instead of shutting it down immediately, show that you’re willing to help. It’s better to show your team/coworkers you’re willing to chase down the information they’re looking for. 
3. “I will try.” This is so vague. No one wants to hear you will maybe get something done. They want to know that you’re actively working on the project and when a realistic timeframe for completion is. If you don’t feel you can complete the project, bring in help. There is never any shame in asking for help as long as you are actively working towards completing the goal as a team. 
4. “I don’t like to work with them.” That’s life, you know? In business, we are all going to work with people we don’t necessarily like. Show me a company that every employee loves every other employee and I’ll show you a false scenario. And here’s the thing, no one expects you to like every person you work with, they just expect you to act professionally. It looks worse on you to say this about your colleagues than it does on the person(s) giving you trouble. Find a way to work together as a team and you will probably produce more quality results. 
5. “That is impossible, I cannot do it.” No one wants to hear what you can’t do. They want to hear what you’re doing to get it done. Even if it’s just a step or two at a time. A negative attitude can ruin your reputation at work and even prevent you from growing with the company. Being solution oriented will go a long way in your communication and work ethic.

So that’s it. Pretty simple, right? Only five simple phrases to stay away from and you can have a much more collaborative and positive work environment. Test it out and see what happens!