Sometimes silence is golden! Have you ever said something to your boss on the job and no sooner did it spill from your mouth, you realized you had made a mistake? Maybe if you had been informed about what not to say to the boss beforehand, you could have avoided making a blunder! For the newly employed, or the long time employee who has become frustrated and feeling like you may say something you shouldn’t soon, read 6 things you should never say to your boss below!
Never Say This To Your Boss!
#1 -“I don’t have time.” Saying this will not endear you to your boss! Maybe you are being asked repeatedly to do tasks that you don’t consider part of the job you were hired to do. This can be particularly frustrating if you are overwhelmed with deadlines that have to be met, yet you are continuously pulled away from your job to do another one. Though this situation produces tremendous stress, it is not wise to make the statement. Speaking from prior experience, you need to learn sooner than later to just do what the boss says, and if you miss a deadline maybe your point will be realized without you having to make the mistake of speaking, even if it was the truth.
#2- “I don’t know how to do that” are words no boss wants to hear. If you don’t know how to do what you’ve been assigned to do, it is better to say “I have some questions about this assignment.”
#3– “It has always been done this way.” Saying this to your boss will make them perceive you as inflexible and unwilling to learn a better way of doing a task. If you don’t think doing a task a new way will help, make your point without using this phrase.
#4- “It can’t be done.” Saying this to your boss is a big mistake, unless you enjoy seeing him/her turn red and become livid! You will be viewed as incapable and ineffectual, even if what you’ve been asked to do truly “can’t be done!” It’s better to put forth some effort in searching for doable ways of solving the problem. Bosses expect you to try to find a way to do anything asked by them.
#5- By saying “It is not my fault” you are really telling your boss that you are not willing to accept responsibility for your mistakes. If something is your fault, admit it and move on to fix the problem. If you are being wrongly accused of making a mistake, instead of saying “it is not my fault” say “let’s get to the bottom of this,” or how can we make this right?”
#6-“I can’t do that because of my other job.” True, many people work two jobs to keep their family finances afloat, but bosses don’t see your second job as a good excuse not to work late, or spend extra hours to meet a deadline on time. Your priorities will be questioned if you let your second job interfere with your fulltime one.
For further reading on this subject check out the articles below:
15 Things Not to Say to Your Boss | Monster
7 Things Never to Say to Your Boss – On Careers (usnews.com)
7 Things Never to Say to Your Boss – Yahoo! Finance