Whatever’s in your heart and mind will come out eventually- especially when you’re at work. And your relationship with your boss can fuel the kind of things that you say. A sociable boss may encourage free speech that might be inappropriate, and a cold-hearted boss might encourage complaining to circulate behind their backs.
Whether your boss acts like a warm and friendly confidante or a stiff-armed cardboard corporate cutout, you should NEVER say these 3 things around your employer.
“It’s ____’s fault.”
The blame game will get you nowhere. Employers appreciate having workers that take personal responsibility and remove themselves from the drama of blame-shifting.
If something goes wrong in your workplace, the only thing you have control over is your response and personal involvement. When a coworker does something stupid and it reflects poorly on you, the best thing you can do is take responsibility for your part in the problem and work toward a solution.
“I don’t get paid enough for that.”
This kind of statement doesn’t really sit well with the person that signs your paychecks. At the end of the day, they’re the ones who write out your job description and determine your salary- not you.
Though that’s not to deny the fact that your time is a valuable asset. If you truly don’t feel as if you’re being compensated fairly for the effort you put into your job, set up a meeting with your employer to negotiate a raise. This will do you much more good in the long run than making passive comments that can easily be overlooked.
“I don’t have any time to get that done.”
The primary issue within this statement is its phrasing. It may be true that you’re crunched for time and managing your schedule feels nearly impossible. However, saying that you “don’t have time” is not an effective way to communicate your busyness.
Your boss will be on the lookout for pockets of downtime that you have during the workday, and when they see you wasting time they will get frustrated by your answer. Instead of complaining about how little time you have, try offering a solution that works for both of you. Maybe you just need a deadline extension, or that task can be delegated to someone else altogether.
“I’ll get that done right now.”
This is not necessarily a bad statement, but it can be detrimental to your reputation if you can’t follow through. When your boss asks you to complete a task or respond to a situation, you want to give an honest answer that reflects when you’ll actually be able to get around to it.
You want to be seen as truthful and dependable. If you say that you’ll get something done immediately and then take another 3 days to get back to that person, it reflects poorly on your time management and communication skills. Say what you mean and mean what you say!
