“It’s all your fault.”
Lashing out and blaming others not only doesn’t solve the problem at hand, it wrecks business relationships and can seriously hurt your career. Instead, focus on solving the problem and then, when things are quieter, finding out how to prevent it from happening again.
“It’s all my fault.”
Being the martyr and taking everything on yourself can set you up for future blame, as well as plant the impression that you are incompetent. Accept the responsibility for things only if that responsibility is truly yours.
“It’s not fair.”
Whether this is true or not, this is one of the most unhelpful things you can say at work. No matter how you say it, it’s going to come across as whining. Instead, find more concrete, fact-based objections to something you want to change, rather than relying on emotional appeal.
“That’s not my job.”
In today’s work environment, employees are often asked to go above and beyond as a matter of routine. “That’s not my job” can make you look stubborn, lazy and generally uninterested in the company’s success. Instead, identify the problem you have with the task at hand — is it something you truly don’t have time for? Is it something that someone else would do better?
“Don’t tell so-and-so, but…”
Office politics can be devastating. While you may be involved in closed-door meetings with colleagues or managers, don’t say anything in private at work that you wouldn’t want said in public at work. No matter how you think you can manage secrets, words often have a way of getting around. Be prudent about what you share and whom you share it with. Watching your words is an important part of your workday life. Think twice before you say something, and try to imagine how your words sound to others.