Saying the wrong thing â or using the wrong turn of phrase â at work can upset and alienate colleagues.Â
So if you want to save yourself and others some unnecessary grief, here are a few âwork phrasesâ you and your team should consider retiring.
Well, itâs always been done this way
Old habits die hard. Even though itâs easy to become complacent and set in your ways, itâs important to remain open-minded to othersâ suggestions.Â
[Read:Â Hereâs how to make your virtual meetings more efficient]
If a new team member, or a newly promoted employee, floats the idea of changing things up, be open to it.Â
Avoid saying things like âWeâve always done it this way,â or âThatâs not how we do things.â
Instead, listen to what that person has to say and ask about the advantages of changing to a new method, that way at least youâll seem collaborative and cooperative.
And if you really want to stick to your guns, then at least take the time to explain why change hasnât been implemented or worked in the past. Who knows, maybe some of the old roadblocks might no longer be there.
Itâll only take a minute
Iâve lost count of how many times Iâve heard this and winced. Nothing, not even the most menial task, takes one minute, so donât say it does.Â
I realize this may just be a turn of phrase, but when you ask a colleague to do something because âitâll only take one minuteâ it immediately undermines that individualâs job and any other tasks they may be working on.
If you feel the need to say this, stop yourself, and think about how you can be respectful of othersâ time.
You could, for example, try saying something like: âLet me know if you have some time to chat as I want to discuss X.âÂ
Itâs not my job
Weâve all been there: someone asks someone else to do something and they pull out the âitâs not my jobâ card.
Donât be one of these people, itâs petty, and itâll get you nowhere. As soon as someone hears this they immediately think youâre not a team player, and while getting away with not doing something may seem like a short-term victory, it will hurt you in the long run. After all, who wants a reputation as an uncooperative employee?
If someone asks you to do something which you feel isnât within your remit, acknowledge this in a positive way by saying that youâve not done it before but that you can take care of it.
Embrace the opportunity to show how versatile and adaptable you are and I guarantee youâll reap the benefits some time down the line.Â
If you donât want to do the task youâve been asked to take on, own up to it, and provide the reasons why. However, itâs important to watch your tone as you donât want to appear negative.
Erm, Iâll try
Thereâs of course nothing inherently wrong with trying, but this can often sound a little negative, as if youâve been handed an unachievable task but youâre going to take it on regardless.Â
If youâre on deadline â or simply donât have the time to take on extra work â be transparent and open about it. Itâs important that your team knows if youâre snowed under.
Donât set yourself up for failure because only you will pay the consequences.
Be proactive and let others know well in advance that you may need help to meet the deadline. Keep positive but speak up if you running the project isnât feasible â people will thank you for the advanced notice.
Letâs touch base
Avoid using empty, meaningless phrases such as âLetâs touch base.â Why? Because itâs overused and it actually doesnât actually mean anything.Â
My problem with this phrase stems from the fact that itâs vague and it can hold many projects hostage.
Instead, I would urge you to be specific in your communication with colleagues and team members.
Give them a proposed time frame, outline what you want to discuss, and provide an overview of what they can expect.Â
Letâs circle back
I couldnât write this piece without mentioning âLetâs circle back,â another empty way to end a conversation thatâs paved the way for countless memes and online jokes.Â
When you use this phrase, youâre essentially telling others that youâre afraid of committing to course of action â itâs the workplace equivalent to burying your head just like an ostrich.Â
A funny thing about quarantining is hearing your partner in full work mode for the first time. Like, Iâm married to a âletâs circle backâ guy â who knew?
â Laura Norkin (@inLaurasWords) March 19, 2020
Instead, make sure you specify the next course of action and assign tasks and responsibilities among team members so that everyone is clear about whatâs expected of them.
Set a realistic timeline, schedule a catch up meeting, and outline what needs to be done by then.
These quick tips should help you seem less annoying, make inroads with colleagues, and keep stock of ongoing projects. Now, though, youâre on your own!
Do you have any tips on workplace communication? Then share your insights with the Growth Quarters community.
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