TEN WRONG THINGS TO SAY TO YOUR BOSS
· Saying these wrong things to your boss can damage your career.
1. "Can you write that down for me?"
· Writing notes while discussing a project is great, but never ask your boss to do it for you.
2. "I just booked plane tickets for next month."
· Never plan your holidays without clearing it with your boss.
· There might be a major project due that week, or the boss might have approved holidays of others and therefore needs you around.
3. "It’s my bad day."
· When you make a mistake, take responsibility for it, figure out how to fix it, and show that you understand its seriousness.
· Responses like "it’s my bad day" sound cavalier and show that you don't take work seriously.
· Don't use it for anything other than the most minor mistake.
4. "I can't work with him."
· Refusing to work with a colleague is an extreme statement and may mark you as difficult.
· Instead, try something like, "I find it hard to work well with A because of X and Y reasons. How can I make it go more smoothly?"
5. "I don't know what you'd do without me."
· No one is irreplaceable, even the head of your company.
· Such statements will make a lot of managers want to show you that you're wrong.
6. "Do this, or I quit."
· Whether you're asking for a raise or requesting a day off, don't threaten to quit if you don't get your way.
· If you don't get what you want, you can always think it over and decide to quit later.
· But if you use it as a negotiating threat, you'll poison the relationship.
7. "I have another offer. Can you match it?"
· Using another job offer for bargaining with your current employer may be tempting, but it often ends badly.
· First, you may be told to take the other offer - even if you don't really want it - and then you'll have to follow it through and quit.
· Second, even if your employer does match the offer, you may land in the first lay-off list if the company needs to make cutbacks.
· If you want a raise, negotiate it on your own merits without the threat of another job offer.
8. "What's the big deal?"
· Statements like this are dismissive and disrespectful.
· If you genuinely don't understand what the real issue is, say something like, "Can you help me understand how you're seeing this?"
9. "I can't do X because I need to do Y."
· Don't say you can't do something your manager is asking of you.
· Instead, if there's a conflict with another work, explain the conflict and ask his priority.
10. "That's not my job."
· Protesting that something isn't in your job description is a good way to lose the support of your boss.
· Job descriptions aren't comprehensive, and most people end up doing work that doesn't fall squarely within those.
· You should make yourself more valuable to your employer, not less.