7 Things Successful
People Never Say
Here's what you need to strike from your vocabulary if you want to
achieve the success you richly deserve.
Whether you are running a small
business, growing a fast-paced tech
startup, or just working for the man, everyone wants to be successful, and we
all think we know what it takes to get there. But there are things you may not
be thinking about which can undermine your chances of success. Little things like your choice of words can
have big effects. You may be unintentionally putting up roadblocks on the path
to your own success by carelessly uttering seemingly harmless negative
phrases. Be careful, your career is important! Don't let yourself be derailed
by a poor choice of words.
To help achieve the success you
have worked hard for, make a point to strike the following negative phrases
from your workplace vocabulary:
1. "I can't do that."
This is basically the same as
"I give up." It's not unreasonable to tell a boss or a client that
his or her request cannot be fulfilled, but how you do so and how you approach
the problem means everything. Very few things in life and business are truly
impossible, and most employers and customers want forward-thinking problem
solvers on their team, even if the solution requires more time and effort. If
you offer your employer and your customers solutions instead of "no,"
you will be seen as a problem solver, as someone who gets things done no matter
what, and that will make you immeasurably valuable in their eyes.
2. "This is how I've always done
it."
This is really a continuation
of the first statement--it's two different applications of the same dead-end
mentality. It says "I am not comfortable thinking outside of the box. I'm
not doing it." Not a good strategy.
Insisting on doing things the
way they've always been done is one of the best ways to get left behind by your
competition. Adapting to an ever-changing marketplace and the ever-changing
needs of employers is really the only way to survive in an economy constantly
being disrupted by the next big thing. You don't have to be a slave
to the trends, but you also can't stick your head in the sand and hope things
go back to normal. New problems will present themselves as surely as the sun
will rise, and your ability to come up with new or better solutions is what
will ultimately put you in front of the pack.
3. "This will just take a minute."
A minute goes by quickly, there
is very little you can do in one minute. You can't even cook a Hot Pocket in
one minute. This dangerous phrase is one of the worst "over-promise,
under-deliver" statements there is. Be very careful with this one. Saying
something will only take "a minute" suggests that it is not
difficult, and in doing so undermines your effort. Even if you can do it very
quickly, don't say it. More likely than not, the reason it can be done quickly
is because you are skilled and very good at what you do. When you say it will
"just" take a minute, you're shortchanging what you bring to the
table. As a rule, if it takes 61 seconds or longer (seriously) to do something, do not say "this will just take a minute."
4. "This is not my fault."
There is no one who wants to
work with or be a customer of a blame shifter. It's a practice that generally repulses people, and everyone
knows it's just a matter of time before the blame shifter eventually focuses
their effort on you. As an employee or as a business, always take ownership of
your mistakes instead of pointing out where others have fallen short. The
ability to admit mistakes shows character and a capacity to learn and grow from
problems. Employers and customers alike appreciate and value these qualities.
Constantly pointing the finger at someone else simply informs others that
you'll never learn from your errors and cannot be held accountable.
5. "That's not in my job
description."
Economies change, demand
changes, society changes. When you accepted your current position, you had a
good idea of what the responsibilities and workload would entail. However, in
the time since you began, no doubt your role has expanded and changed. Some of
these changes have been good, while others have made you wish for simpler
times. When a boss or client piles another responsibility on your already sore
shoulders, it might be tempting to pull out this classic gem of work avoidance.
Resist the urge to go negative.
"That's not in my job description" might feel good in the moment, but
it will leave a very nasty aftertaste. Instead, schedule an appointment to have
a calm, even-tempered conversation about how the new workload is outside of
your contract or employment agreement. A prearranged conversation about the
details of your work agreement is the appropriate time to discuss such things,
not when you're being asked to get something done. No matter how stressed you
are or how unreasonable the other party is being, using this phrase only makes
you look lazy and unmotivated.
6. "It's not fair."
Welcome to real life, where
things aren't fair. As in your personal life, your work life will often be
lacking in fairness. Don't complain about it. Instead, try to look for a
specific and actionable workaround to your problem. You may not get a contract
you bid on or a promotion you deserved. Maybe it will go to someone who
deserves it much less than you. This hurts, but it's life, and you can do
something about it. Work even harder. Instead of complaining, politely ask why
you were not chosen, reflect on what you've learned, and next time go the extra
mile. Be
so good they can't ignore you. Never quit, and you'll never lose, even if it takes you a little
longer to win.
7. "I don't need any help."
Working alone is great if
you're Batman, but in the business world you're going to need help sometimes.
Don't overemphasize your ability to get things done on your own--being
self-reliant is good but teamwork is essential in the modern economy. Being
able to work well with others is the hallmark of a good leader, and likewise, a
business that can network and cooperate with competitors is much more likely to
earn new business and grow. As an employee, you're unlikely to climb the career
ladder if you're always flying solo and unwilling to work closely with others
on a team. Batman may save Gotham, but he'll never reach middle management.
Everyone wants to be
successful, and it's hard to do, even if you say all the right things, all the
time. Take care not to handicap yourself with negative words and avoid these
seven phrases like the plague. There is a lot more to being successful than
just choosing your words wisely, but this is one easy-to-implement step that
will prevent you from holding yourself back. Go be amazing!
BY ILYA
POZIN
Founder, Pluto.TV@ilyaNeverSleeps
http://www.inc.com/ilya-pozin/the-7-things-successful-people-never-say.html?cid=em01014week17a
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