No matter how you look at it, people will remember the exact words, and exactly how they made them feel, which isn’t always a good thing. As Rotarians, we lead by example. Here are 17 “hot” phrases that should always be avoided:
- “Person X is doing better.”
- “Bring me solutions, not problems.”
- “I don’t have any feedback for you.”
- “You don’t need to know why—just execute.”
- “I’ll do it myself.”
- “Because I’m the boss.”
- “Why did you do it that way?”
- “Good job.” (Be sincere and add details about the successful task)
- “You need to do more with less.”
- “That’s your problem.”
- “Don’t take this the wrong way, but…”
- “I don’t have time right now.”
- “Are you questioning my authority?”
- “Our boss is a moron.”
- “My predecessor was terrible.”
- “I’m disappointed in you.”
- “It’s not my fault.”