Those 12 phrases will make you look bad in the office.

1. www.employeeconnect.com
1212things
Successful People Never Say
to Their Manager

2. What’s in it for me?
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“When your boss asks you to give a hand to another
department you might wonder where the benefit
lies for you. After all, does that not mean that you
will have less time to spend or your own work and
will have to put in more hours? Sure, but that will
also show that you don’t have a good team spirit.
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3. Oh that?
Just a tiny mistake
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“There’s nothing more annoying that someone who
commits an error and doesn’t attach any importance to it.
Considering that you’ve just made a small mistake means
you don’t take your job seriously.
2

4. What’s your problem?
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“That does sound rude and a total lack of respect. If
your manager appears concerned, try to understand
what’s worrying him and say something like: “I’d like to
understand what’s been concerning you”.
3

5. That’s not part
of my job scope
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“Today’s world requires team and individuals
to be agile and that means your job
description is not set in stone. The more you
will cumulate skills and get to work on other
projects, the more valuable you will be
perceived by your management.
4

6. By the way:
I’ve just booked
my ticket
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“Never book your holidays before talking
about it to your boss. You may have to work
on an important project during this time or
other colleagues may have already
submitted their leave request. Always talk
about it first to avoid yourself a costly
mistake and your boss could be upset
because of it.
5

7. If I were in your
position
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“Unless you boss expressly asked for your
opinion, keep your advices for yourself.
You’re not in his position and you’d
certainly not like to be.
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8. I don’t know
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“It’s fine to admit it when we don’t have the
answer but you can still do your best to try
to find the best solution. Be aware that
whenever you boss needs to do your work,
you’re not heading in the right direction.
7

9. No
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“Even if sometimes necessary, saying “no” can make
you look uncooperative or even rude! Instead of a
straight “no” try to express why you can’t do
something properly by saying that it will be
complicated and give the reasons why. If you have
to juggle between competing priorities. Re-align
your projects and deadlines directly with your
manager.
8

10. Really? That’s not
what I heard!
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“Stay away from the office gossips and don’t place
them in your conversations with your boss. That
could turn out sour for you. If you’re unsure of
something, it’s better to simply wait rather than look
unprofessional.
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11. When was that
due again?
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“You forgot to hand in a project in time, fine. But it’s a
rule of thumb that you should be organised and
rigorous. Instead of showing that you have forgotten
the due date, suggest that the work load was more
important than expected and that you will wrap it
up asap.
10

12. You’re wrong
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“Pointing your boss’ mistakes is a great way to be
excluded from future meetings and be ignored
when you have something to say. Be more sensible
by starting with “I have the feeling…” or “I have the
impression that…”. This allow your manager to
correct the misunderstanding if it exists.
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13. Sorry, but…
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“Way too easy! If you’ve made an actual
mistake, saying “sorry, but…” will make you
sound insincere. A franc: “I’m sorry, I’ll do
better next time”, is much better.
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14. About EmployeeConnect
HR Software
www.employeeconnect.com
Setting the standard for workflow driven
HR Software, EmployeeConnect gives
you the solutions & tools to connect &
transform your workforce beyond the
traditional boundaries of HR, with
complete flexibility & control.

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