As of: March 11, 2024, 4:15 p.m
By: Carina Blumenroth
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Sometimes your mouth is faster than your head.
Which sentences you should avoid at work if you want to appear good to others.
“You can’t not communicate” is the phrase coined by communication scientist Paul Watzlawick.
This means that people not only speak with words, but also send signals with their body language - facial expressions and gestures.
While body language can be interpreted and have different effects on people, the spoken word is sometimes more clear.
Which sentences you should avoid in your job if you don't want to be perceived as insecure or arrogant.
Which sentences you should avoid at work
People talk to colleagues every day.
Which sentences you should avoid.
© Jose Carlos Ichiro/Westend61/Imago
You can unintentionally offend other people with words.
Sometimes it can be an unfortunate combination of words and the tone in which they were spoken.
This can not only lead to problems between people, but can also harm you at work.
1. Avoid “but” constructions
“I have nothing against him/her, but…” or “No harm meant, but…” – the invalidation shows that people want to appear moral, but still follow up with criticism or a mean thought.
It is better to leave out the sentence in front of it and express possible criticism in the way you would like to be treated.
Another approach is to use the sentence “Stupid question, but...”, by doing so you belittle your own statement and downplay yourself.
On the other hand, the sentence can also appear arrogant if the tone is different.
Psychologist Pia Dominique Schweitzer tells
Welt.de
: “Depending on how you emphasize it, a sentence like this can quickly be seen as arrogant.
For example, if it sounds more like
'
Sorry, but why don't we do it like this?'"
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2. “That’s easy.
Why can’t you do that?”
What is easy or difficult is different for everyone.
Some people take longer to complete a task, others finish it quicker.
This sentence builds pressure and makes the person being spoken to feel bad.
They seem unsympathetic and arrogant.
It's better to offer support and try to put yourself in the other person's shoes, informs the
Arbeitsabc
portal .
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3. “Isn’t that clear?”
Don't draw conclusions from yourself.
What is self-evident for some does not necessarily have to be classified by others.
This statement is particularly difficult when experienced and new colleagues work together.
Try to be empathetic and communicate in a way that gets everyone involved.
4. “Are you sure?” – especially in combination with intonation and facial expressions
With this sentence you question your colleague's competence in just three words.
Your colleague doesn't feel like you're being taken seriously and may see you as arrogant.
It is better to ask for background information and details about the colleague's statement.
5. "I know" or "I would have known..."
Short, arrogant or stroppy?
With these sentences you can create a similar or similar impression on your colleagues.
If you get a tip or a suggested solution that you came up with, it is better to say thank you.
The second sentence goes in a similar direction; you want to prove that you could have handled a task better.
That seems unsympathetic and arrogant.