Standing up for one's own values or being diplomatic is often a fine line. What you should definitely not say to the supervisor.
In working life, people often communicate with each other, but sometimes you overshoot the mark. Often there can be misunderstandings that words arrive differently than they were actually intended. It's not just the tone that makes the music in conversations, you should also pay attention to the wording.
Communication with superiors: words can be put on the gold scale
Especially in a group, it is important to let each other finish and not interrupt others. (Symbolic photo) © xZeroxCreativesx/Imago
"It's important to be careful with what you tell your boss because even the slightest slip-up can make or break your career," Ryan Kahn, founder and author, tells businessinsider.de. Accordingly, one should be careful when formulating one's own views. A first approach in this context can be not to generalize and to rely on I-messages, informed karrierebibel.de.
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What formulations should not be chosen when talking to superiors
- "You're wrong": Those who criticize superiors so openly can be ignored in future meetings. Here it is better to start from one's own position, says politeness expert Rosalinda Oropeza Randall to businessinsider.de. It would therefore be possible: "Maybe I'm misinformed about the matter, but..."
- "Can you please ask someone else to do this?": Rejecting tasks for no reason is often bad. It is better to ask for assistance in prioritizing tasks, then the supervisor can decide which task to prioritize.
- "No!": Sometimes 'no' is a complete sentence, but in relation to the job, you should embellish your statement. Rejecting tasks not only protects against possible burnout, but also has a more professional effect towards colleagues and superiors.
- "It's not my fault, it's XY's": Anyone who always points the finger at others does not make themselves popular with superiors, reports businessinsider.de.
- "Can I be honest": It's also a phrase that it's better not to get used to, because honesty is what most superiors assume. If you take advantage of that, it may imply that you haven't been honest elsewhere.
Better communication, possible strategies and rules
To prevent conflicts, you can follow rules when communicating. This can also help you to better reflect on your own actions and statements. In principle, one should not give unsolicited advice, inform karrierebibel.de. This can lead to patronizing others and not making them feel taken seriously. Likewise, you should let other people finish talking in conversations – this is especially challenging if you feel offended by the statements or have a different opinion. Nevertheless, the situations can often be clarified better if you have been able to listen to the entire speech.