7 phrases you should stop using at work

Great ideas work out when you know how to communicate them to your colleagues and superiors. Be it your work or your personal relationships, the key is confidence. But over the years, many of us get habituated to bad speech, mainly because no one corrects us. And if someone does, we become either very conscious or an extra notch judgmental. Without even realising it, these verbal glitches have the power to ruin a lot of opportunities coming our way.

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There are several phrases that we, each and every one of us, adopt over the course of time. And while they may seem innocuous enough to us, they could be sending an unintended message to those we interact with, perhaps one that could seriously affect our image in a professional environment. Here are some of those phrases.

“I can’t...”

If you want to move ahead in your career, never bow down to this phrase. As soon as you say this, you take away your power to perform and be an asset. You give someone else control over you. You can also risk sounding arrogant, giving others the impression that you might be trying to avoid work or responsibility. It will point out your fear of failure and an unwillingness to try and expand your horizons.

“Let me know”

This is a phrase that sounds harmless and seems like a polite way to end a conversation, but it is in reality a disaster waiting to unfold. It doesn’t let the other person know what his or her next step should be, or which direction the conversation and the process have to go in. To make matters worse, it is putting the burden of decision making on the other person, which might not look good on your part. Instead of using this phrase, explain what you want and you will stand out.

“I’m no expert, but…”

This phrase is generally used when you are actually avoiding sounding very pushy, dominating or arrogant. The picture it projects, however, is something else entirely. It will show you as someone whose statements do not have much credibility. If you want to communicate well and in an articulate fashion, avoid using qualifiers; they make you look like someone who cannot stand by what they say.

“I’m the *designation/title*”

If you begin any sentence by citing your work title, you will, without a doubt, end up looking arrogant. It’s better to not include your title at all in any conversation until and unless someone asks you or you absolutely have to share it.

 “Is that okay?”

Asking the other person if what you have done is right or in sync with the other’s expectations will make you look like someone unsure and without clear understanding of his or her work. It will show you as someone who wants another person’s validation to make his or her work acceptable. You will seem like you are not fit for the job you have committed to. When you know what the project is and what work needs to be done, articulate your reply and stand by what you think can work. If you still have doubts about your idea, this is how you should evaluate it before putting it on the table.

“That’s fine”

‘Fine’ is a word that gives off cold vibes. It’s a colloquial term that is not often taken in a positive regard. You might come across as someone throwing about attitude if you use this phrase a lot. Instead of fine, try to explicitly state how you actually felt about something.

“I feel like…”

This phrase can make you sound immature, making you seem like someone who’s not serious about work. The frame is used when you try to frame an idea in your head but are still not completely sure about it. Whatever you need to convey, speak to the point. Using phrases like this can backfire. Cut to the chase, say what you really have been trying to frame in your head and be done with it.

While communicating what you want to, you need to mean well, write in a smart manner and sound sincere at the same time. Do this and you will see things work in your favour.