8 Things Never to Say at Work

Here are 8 things never to say at work if you want to keep your job. Agreed, we all have these thoughts at times, but as you know, some things are better left in your head and out of your conversation at work. These 8 things never to say at work must remain out of your conversation at work.

 By Catherine Adenle

Explore this post to know the things never to say at work. You will agree with me that it’s easy to get frustrated and become negative verbally at work. That’s when one of these 8 things never to say at work as discussed below tend to become part of your conversation.

Getting irritated and being unhappy at work could be put down to various reasons such as the state of things generally, having to deal with a bad or an incompetent manager, managing a big workload or having to deal with colleagues who are unfriendly. With any of these and other challenges come harsh words to reveal our state of mind. However, it is important to watch how we communicate our frustration by not saying these things:

Things Never to Say at Work

1.      I hate this job!

This is the first of the 8 things never to say at work on our list. Don’t forget that countless number of people are currently looking for work due to recession, offshoring and reduction in headcount. If you feel the need to blurt these words out at work in front of your manager and colleagues, then be prepared to face the consequence when the next lot of employee reduction programme surfaces.

2.      I don’t care if we meet the deadline for the project or not

These words show your nonchalant attitude towards your work or project. You are indirectly telling your manager that you don’t care about the goal and objectives of the whole team and that of the organization. This does not make you a great staff or team player. If you are glad to take the pay, then, be glad to do the work meet any set deadlines or explain why you cannot meet the set deadline.

3.      Go to someone else, it’s a waste of my precious time!

There are good and bad ways of saying things. You can get your message across nicely and then suggest where the task fits best.

4.      Change is not for me

At work and in life, changes are never far away from us, whether it’s relocating to another area of work, having a dear colleague move away, the loss of a loved one etc. Change isn’t easy for anyone but then, it often provides an opportunity to grow in life and to test your courage. The recession and the reduction in headcount that came with it, has put workers in a tough spot when it comes to change. Outsourcing, off-shoring and everything else at work generates change. Uttering these words might be seen as you lacking flexibility.

 5.      This job is a pain!

Again, if your day to day job feels like pain, it may be time to speak directly to your manager regarding why your job feels like pain. Perhaps it’s time for you to look for another job. However, never say these words as others may be listening. Instead, express the situations that you find challenging.

6.      That’s not my job

You are in a tough spot if few of your colleagues have been made redundant to save overhead costs. The truth of the matter is that staff counts everywhere are dwindling. So the remaining staff are increasingly asked to do things that were not part of their original job description. All businesses are “doing more with less!” Get with the programme.

You are not doing yourself any favour by saying a task that’s been allocated to you is not your task. Learn to explain better. You can say, “Well, I’d like to get this job done for you but I have other countless work with looming deadlines. Which one would you prefer that I do first? ”

See 10 Practical Ways to Handle Stress

7.      We always do it this way

For many companies, continuous improvement is the order of the day. So, you must always seek better ways of doing things. There is no more business as usual and you need to begin re-thinking the way you’ve always done things. To compete in a world of faster and agile solutions it means there will be lots of changes to processes, tasks, tools and systems to facilitate growth. You will be left behind if you stick with the way it’s always done.

You can ask in a positive manner, “This new way sounds great, but how is this going to help us improve on the other tested and proven approach that we already utilised?”

8.      Why was she promoted? I understand the role more than her. That’s not fair!

If you feel you’re being taken advantage of, then don’t moan loudly and openly. Instead, go to your manager and speak up about it. However, you have to be realistic about your competencies and skills. Be in a better position to do something about the situation. Know why you have been bypassed for promotion and create a plan to help you deal with any situation that can stop you from been promoted in future.

See How to Hold a Difficult Conversation

Remember, organisations and life in general aren’t fair, and things go to those who ask for them and who are brave enough to take action.

Chances are, your organisation may be big or small, good or bad, regardless, there are things that you are bound to love or loathe about it. Whatever you do, try and not say any of these 8 things never to say at work.

See 13 Things You Should Never Say at Work

Now that you have gone through the list of 8 things never to say at work, what else can you add to the list? Let’s hear from you. Add your comment below.

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