Excessive rules within the workplace can feel burdensome on the best of days but regardless of how casual and cool your organization is, there are some things you should never say at work. Some things are a given and should not require an explanation—you should never swear, make derogatory statements, be vulgar, make racist remarks, etc. within the workspace. Things that would be inappropriate regardless of the content are certified phrases to never say at work. Beyond the basics, knowing what to avoid saying at work can save your skin and your job from slipping through your fingers into the unknown. If you’re looking for some workplace communications tips that can help you breeze through the workday without a hiccup, then we have some notes for you.
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Listing 10 Things You Should Never Say at Work
There are many workplace communication mistakes that you might have noticed others make already. These usually get added to a mental checklist of everything you want to avoid in your professional career. Some of these mistakes might have even been your own, making the learning process a lot more painful than it needs to be. To protect your future from yourself, here are some workplace communication tips on things you should never say at work.
“It’s Not My Job to Do It”
Starting off strong with this overt dismissal of a task, the statement is one of the many examples of phrases to never say at work. You might be right in claiming that a particular task is not part of your job description but being dismissive about it can make you appear standoffish. If you want to set a firm boundary, try to be more polite in explaining that you were unaware of it being assigned to you. If your schedule allows for it, ask them to explain the task to you so you can get to it. If your schedule does not leave room for a new responsibility, check in on whether you can get to it after your current tasks are taken care of.
“I’m So Hungover Right Now”
You might have a few colleagues you’re close enough to have candid conversations with, but it’s still best to keep all conversations at work professional. Even a close colleague might disapprove of you coming into work and disrupting workflow by being hungover. You might not receive the sympathy you’d been hoping for so it is often best to avoid bringing attention to it entirely.
Remember that you might be setting yourself up for failure by giving everyone a reason for everyone to blame you for any error that occurs at the workplace for the rest of the day. Such workplace communication mistakes can cost you dearly when it’s time for a performance review. The best solution to this problem is to entirely avoid coming to work with a compromised capacity in the first place.
“This is Pointless/Boring/Silly”
You might think another meeting in your already packed schedule is a waste of your time, but announcing it to the office is not a good idea. The tasks you find pointless might have a purpose for someone else, but even if it doesn’t, there are other ways to express your dissatisfaction to those who can explore alternatives with you. Consider asking your team if you can do things differently instead of berating the idea someone else came up with.
“Your Approach is Outdated”
Organizations often run on archaic procedures that haven’t been upgraded since their inception. Feeling irritated by these slow routines and approaches is inevitable sometimes, but stating your opinion like this falls under the list of phrases to never say at work. Telling someone their approach is outdated, old-fashioned, or behind the times will only make them defensive considering they’re only suggesting a solution that they know works for them. If you want things done differently, explain your approach patiently and ask if you can try something unusual for this assignment or task.
“This is How It Has Always Been Done/I’m Just Doing What I’m Told”
Counter to the previous example of changing how work is done, you might someday find yourself defending the old ways or using them as a way to protect yourself. This can come across as laziness sometimes, appearing as though you’re shifting the blame and cleaning your hands of the consequences.
In a different context, it can also sound like you’re unwilling to try anything new. You might be better off understanding the context and what is being asked of you to properly respond to why changing something specific is or is not possible.
“What is Your Problem/Is There a Problem?”
There will be a day when you meet a coworker who has a problem with you or the way you do things—this is a natural part of the work experience. This does not mean that you should confront them with an attitude of your own. Workplace etiquette demands that you keep your cool unless you want to get written up along with the offender. Take a deep breath, find a mediator if necessary, and try to understand where the communication went awry between you and your colleague.
“Don’t Ask Questions, Just Do What You’ve Been Told To Do”
If you’re in a position of authority and you instruct an employee to work on something without asking questions or understanding their job, then you might be a part of the problem. It’s within an employee’s right to ask questions and know the full extent of what they’re being asked to do and leaders need to be supportive of their curiosity and desire to understand.
If you’re an employee advising your colleagues to just do what they’re told because you think that’s how you can look out for them, then you have to remind yourself of this list. This statement falls among the things you should never say at work. If your supervisor later asks the employee why they didn’t ask questions when they didn’t understand something, they’ll have no option but to point to you. If you think the higher-ups won’t appreciate questions, then help your colleague figure out who they can direct their questions to instead.
“I Can’t Do It”
If you cannot do a task that you’ve been assigned, then you might have to calmly explain why you’re unable to take it on. If it’s a part of your job, then you might have to gather the strength and fortitude to take on the task anyway. If you think you’re underqualified to handle the task or lack the resources to do it, it is better to ask for help or supervision rather than make any workplace communication mistakes like this one.
“It Sounds Like A ‘You’ Problem”
This might sound outlandish, but phrases that we use on social media often slip into our vocabulary and escape at work. A key point to remember from these workplace communication tips is that you should never let your fun Gen Z and Millenial catchphrases slip into your workplace communication. The “vibes may be off” and the coffee might be “mid” but you should avoid informing your managers and colleagues about it in those specific words.
“Did You Hear About What She Said?”
Workplace gossip may be the entire reason you’re able to push yourself to go to work every day, but overindulging in anything is a bad idea, especially within the workspace. A reputation as the resident gossip is hard to shake off and you don’t want to be known for badmouthing everyone within the building. Talking about other people is very definitely on the list of things you should never say at work.
There are a lot of other workplace communication mistakes that you should avoid, such as being overconfident or overtly humble to the point where your colleagues begin doubting your ability to do your job. Being “classy” may seem like an oversimplification of the concept but try to be conscious of these workplace communication tips and keep adding to the list whenever you come across another habit or behavior you need to embrace or avoid.