10 Phrases That Could End Up Destroying Your Professional Career

The magazine’s editor-in-chief Esquire, Ross McCammon, states that he can identify what type of employee is in front of him only from an introductory speech. According to McCammon, this is even enough to know if the person has a promising career ahead.

We often don’t pay attention to the phrases we use at work. However, they have the power to determine whether our professional path will be a smooth and fascinating path or a journey full of obstacles.

O awesome.club discovered what kind of phrases are best avoided in the work context so as not to harm your career or compromise your relationships with colleagues.

This phrase can be too blunt and emotional for work matters. If you don’t have the interest in being known as the dramatic on duty, it’s best to leave those words for personal life. At work, it’s always important to admit guilt. But there are more efficient ways to do this; for example, and explaining what you will do to improve in a very objective way. As the saying goes, there’s no use crying over spilled milk.

What’s the best way to say: “I was wrong, this will not happen again.”

By adding this sentence to the end of a speech, you will put your own words in doubt. Basically, the person admits not being sure of what he said or simply didn’t understand anything he said himself. And then he asks his colleague to repeat the same nonsense things he just said.

What’s the best way to say: “If you have questions, feel free.”

Nobody likes to hear complaints about a hangover or about events that didn’t involve the people at work. Also, last night’s fun can’t be an excuse for a drop in income. Faced with phrases like this, it is unlikely that other employees will feel sorry for the poor party-goer or want to work for him. Sooner or later, the author of these words will gain the reputation of a lax official.

What is the best way to act? Don’t show that the night before affects your ability to work.

Obviously, no one is immune to feelings in the workplace. There can be resentment, insecurity and a sense of irrelevance. But that doesn’t mean we can let emotions and intuitions take over. It is better to build arguments rather than just “guessing”.

What’s the best way to say: “I consider that…”.

Each person relates to work differently. For some, going to the workplace is a daily torture, while for others it is a place of inspiration, communication and well-being. And the problems with the perception of efficiency have to do with the person who said that sentence, not the one to whom the sentence was directed. The set of workers is made up of different people, in which each one develops their own social role. So if everything is working correctly, there’s no need to change anything, right?

What’s the best way to say: “It makes me happy to know that work brings you happiness”.

When we begin a speech with these words, we make it clear that we believe we have made a mistake. Since you haven’t essentially said anything yet, there’s no need to apologize. On the other hand, the interlocutor may address us with skepticism. Or even worse: interrupt us. In such cases, the word “sorry” provokes a reaction of “what lie is he going to tell?”

Also, it’s not worth asking for a favor from a colleague or superior and at the same time apologizing. It is unlikely that this polite manner will be of any benefit, as you will find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. Phrases like that make it clear that it’s a favor. Therefore, you will occupy a disadvantaged position in relation to the interlocutor.

Note, however, that starting a sentence with the expression “sorry” is something quite different from admitting a mistake and apologizing for it, promising that it will not be repeated, as we showed in the first item of this post.

What’s the best way to say: get started right away with the main thing, without beating around the bush.

Imagine that a colleague has responded like this to a favor you have just asked. This sentence can be accompanied by another one, like: “It’s nothing personal, it’s business”. An answer like that doesn’t please colleagues or bosses, quite the contrary: next time, no one will ask you for anything, not even in matters related to work. However, even the refusal to help a colleague must be well argued. “Now I need to dedicate myself to another project. If I can finish by 5 pm, I’ll help you.” An approach along these lines signals that you know how to work as a team, but limiting the expectations of others.

What’s the best way to say: “Now I’m busy with this project. When I have free time, I will help you.”

What’s the point of complaining about the company you work for and doing nothing? Making such accusations against your workplace or colleagues is professional suicide. If you don’t want to be known as an aggressive person, you need to forget these words. Instead, if you really don’t like something about the company’s working methods, try to approach it gently, based on facts, not feelings.

What’s the best way to say: “Let’s try again next month…”

“If I had been aware of the serious consequences of my actions, I would have taken precautions.” This phrase best describes certain meaningless expressions, such as “You would have to…” or “I said you should…”. Provoking a sense of guilt in colleagues is not a constructive attitude. Remember that you learn from mistakes. If you’ve made a mistake, try to present the situation as a helpful, albeit bitter, experience. That way, you can understand it better so you don’t repeat the same thing in the future.

What’s the best way to say: “Next time, we’ll do it like this…”.

If so, then why bother? Even if the employee has encountered difficulties and has tried to overcome them hundreds of times, it is no reason to give up. Think about what you can do differently to get a positive result. Bosses are always interested in results, as are those who want to build a solid career. So put aside the initial pessimism. Remember that no brilliant idea comes right away. Thomas Edison made 10,000 failed experiments to perfect the light bulb. So why wouldn’t we keep trying to overcome an obstacle?

What’s the best way to say: “This time, I propose that we use another method.”

Of course, not all words are interpreted the same by different people. This depends on the culture of each country (a Japanese multinational is different from a German one, for example), the sector (financial companies, stores, construction) and each company.

However, it is always ideal to avoid any unpleasant situations. So why not listen to ethicists in the corporate world?

What kind of phrases said in the work environment do you consider the most inappropriate? Comment!