7 Words NOT to Say to Employees

Communication is something we do so instinctively that we often take it for granted. We shouldn’t. One of the keys to being successful in business is not only communicating, but communicating effectively. That’s doubly true when it comes to your employees. You’ll find all sorts of books and articles on what to say to them, but just as important is what you DON’T say.

Wrong. Business is about the art of negotiation, and as soon as you say ‘wrong’ you’ve ended the negotiation. You’ve indicated that your mind is made up and there’s no longer any room for compromise. It hardens the other person’s position. It kills the spirit of cooperation that is essential for any organization.

Done. This word implies a finality that doesn’t really exist in business. Nothing is ever completely done. There is always the opportunity for growth. By declaring something ‘done’ you’re saying it can’t be improved upon and the other person shouldn’t even try.

Busy. Of course you’re busy. So is everyone else. Never talk about how busy you are. It tells your employee that you don’t have time to be concerned about them. And if you give them the impression that you don’t care about them, then it won’t be long before they quit caring about the quality of their work.

Impossible. There really isn’t a good time to use this word, because in business for every rule there’s invariably an exception. Calling something impossible chokes off potential avenues of creativity. Why even consider it when you know it will never work? Something may be unlikely or extremely challenging, but it’s never impossible.

Can’t. Like impossible, can’t is a word that you should never use. Of course it can be done. History shows us this. It may create as many problems as it solves or it might be absolutely brilliant. You’ll never know if you close your mind to the possibilities by saying ‘it can’t be done.’

Fault. Things don’t always go according to plan, and yes, it probably is somebody’s fault. However, when you use the word ‘fault’, you’re assigning blame. To the person you’re speaking to, if it’s their fault they’ll immediately try to defend themselves rather than think of ways to make it right. If it’s someone else’s fault, you’ve immediately absolved them of any responsibility to fix it. Either way, it creates a bad situation.

Hate. You may dislike something. You may even strongly dislike it, but hate? Hate is such a powerful word. It creates strong negative emotions that may blind rational judgment. A dislike can be converted into a like a lot easier than hate can be converted into love.

They. Within a company, there is no ‘they.’ There is only ‘we.’ When you say they, it shifts blame and therefore responsibility for a problem to someone else. If they did it, then we don’t have to fix it. That type of mentality undermines cooperation and allows issues to fester instead of being addressed.

What you say is important, but what you don’t say is equally critical. Choose wisely, and leave these 7 words behind when you start your day.