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In speaking with hundreds of executives and senior leaders over the past twenty years, certain phrases consistently come up as career-limiting phrases that jeopardize

one’s professional image and potential for promotion. To the speaker they may seem like harmless words, however, to the listener they reveal a more critical issue: In a workplace where employers must be cutting-edge, competitive, and cost-effective, employees who use these phrases will likely be replaced with those who convey a more positive attitude, collaborative spirit, proactive behavior and professional demeanor. Here are 13 phrases that should be banned from the office:通過過去二十年來和諸多高管及領導的交流，我發現有些話在職場中比較禁忌，可能會毀掉一個人的職業形象甚或升職機會。說者可能無意，但聽者卻會看到更為本質的問題：身處職場，員工必須走在前沿、具有競爭力并能節約成本，說話不當的員工很可能被態度積極、團結協作、主動采取行動并且專業有素的員工所取代。以下13句話就絕不能在辦公室講：

She got a raise, you didn’t. He was recognized, you weren’t. Some people have food to eat while others starves. Injustices happen on the job and in the world every day. Whether it’s a troubling issue at work or a serious problem for the planet, the point in avoiding this phrase is to be proactive about the issues versus complaining, or worse, passively whining. Instead, document the facts, build a case, and present an intelligent argument to the person or group who can help you。她加薪了，你卻沒有；他受器重了，而你沒有。有人溫飽就有人挨餓，世界上不公平隨處可見，職場也一樣。不論是工作碰上麻煩還是地球遇到災難，要避免不公平，就得積極解決問題，而不是抱怨或者消極發牢騷。相反，你應該實事求是地、向能夠提供幫助的人或組織有理有據地來表達意見。

If you asked someone for help, and the person replied with one of the above phrases, how would you feel? As importantly, what would it say about him or her? Regardless of how inconvenient or inappropriate a request may be, it is likely important to the other person or they would not have asked. Therefore, as a contributing member of the team, a top priority is to care about the success of others (or at least act as though you do). An unconcerned, detached and self-serving attitude quickly limits career advancement。如果你請某人幫忙，卻得到上面這樣的回答，你會怎么想？重要的是，說出這種話的人又能怎樣呢？不管請求多么不方便或不恰當，如果不那么重要，別人也就不必開口求助了。所以，作為團隊成員，首先應將他人的成功放第一位(或至少表示一下自己的心意)。冷漠離群、以自我為中心的態度很快便會斷送職業發展。

This doesn’t mean you have to say yes; it does mean you need to be articulate

and thoughtful when saying no. For example, if your boss issues an unreasonable request, rather than saying, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me. I don’t get paid enough for this,’ instead say, ‘I’ll be glad to help. Given my current tasks of A, B, and C, which one of these shall I place on hold while I work on this new assignment?’ This clearly communicates teamwork and helpfulness, while reminding your boss of your current work load and the need to set realistic expectations。這并不是要你有求必應；只是告訴你三思之后再拒絕。例如，如果老板提出不合理的要求，不要說‘開什么玩笑，這根本就不是我的分內之事。’，而應回答‘沒問題啊，但我手上還有A、B、C等任務，哪個任務可以暫放一放，以便完成這項新任務呢？’這樣說不僅展現了團隊精神和樂于助人，還提醒了老板你手上還有活兒，要求不可太過分。

Which of these two statements sounds more authoritative?: “I think our company might be a good partner for you。” Or, “I believe…” “I know…” or “I am confident that our company will be a good partner for you。”下面哪句話聽上去更有力？：“我認為我們公司可能成為貴方的良好伙伴。”或“我相信/我知道/我確信我們公司將會成為貴方的良好伙伴。”

There is a slight difference in the wording, however the conviction

communicated to your customer is profound. You may have noticed, the first phrase contains two weak words, ‘think’ and ‘might.’ They risk making you sound unsure or insecure about the message. Conversely, the second sentence is assertive

and certain. To convey a command of content and passion for your subject, substitute the word ‘think’ with ‘believe’ and replace ‘might’ with ‘will.’只是用詞略有變動，但傳達給客戶的信心卻很不一樣。你們應該注意到，第一句話中的‘認為’和‘可能’語氣較弱，使信息聽上去不那么確鑿肯定。相反，第二句話則確信肯定多了。為表達你講話內容的堅定和激情，應將‘認為’和‘可能’換成‘相信’和‘將要’。

When someone thanks you, the courteous and polite reply is, “You’re welcome。”當有人向你表示感謝時，禮貌的回答是“不客氣”。

The meaning implies that it was a pleasure for you to help the person, and that you receive their appreciation. Though the casual laid-back phrase, ‘no problem’ may intend to communicate this, it falls short. It actually negates the person’s appreciation and implies the situation could have been a problem under other circumstances. In business and social situations, if you want to be perceived as well-mannered and considerate, respond to thank you’ s with, “You’re welcome。”不客氣表示你很樂意提供幫助，并且接受對方的感謝。雖然隨意一點說‘沒問題’也有同樣的功能，但意思卻遠遠不足，不僅忽略了對方的感激之情，而且還暗指這個忙在別的情況下可能是個‘問題’。在職場及社會上，如果你想表現得體貼有教養，還是用“不客氣”來回答別人的感謝吧。

Imagine it’s April 15th and you ask a friend to mail your tax returns before 5pm on his way to the post office. If he replies, ‘Okay, I’ll try,’ you’ll likely feel the need to mail them yourself. Why? Because that phrase implies the possibility of failure。假設4月15號那天，你請朋友在下午5點之前順路去郵局替你寄申報單，朋友回答說‘好啊，我試試看吧。’，你是不是覺得不放心，還是親自去寄的好呢？為什么會這樣？因為“試試看”表示事情也有可能做不好。

In your speech, especially with senior leaders, replace the word ‘try’ with the word and intention of ‘will.’ This seemingly small change speaks volumes。“在你講話的時候，尤其是面對上級領導，請把‘試試看’換成‘會去做’。改變雖小，意義卻很重大。

Nothing tanks a career faster than name-calling. Not only does it reveal juvenile school-yard immaturity, it’s language that is liable and fire-able。沒什么能比說臟話更快地搞垮職業生涯了。說臟話不僅表示你跟小孩一樣幼稚，還可能招來禍患。

Avoid making unkind, judgmental statements that will inevitably reflect poorly on you. If you have a genuine complaint about someone or something, communicate the issue with tact, consideration and neutrality。千萬別說惡意評價，否則最后只能自己受害。如果你確實對某人或某事有意見，還是老練、細致并中立地溝通解決吧。

The most effective leaders value innovation, creative thinking and problem solving skills in their employees. In one fell swoop, this phrase reveals you are the opposite: stuck in the past, inflexible, and closed-minded. Instead say, ‘Wow, that’s an interesting idea. How would that work?’ Or, ‘That’s a different approach. Let’s discuss the pros and cons.’最有效率的領導重視員工的革新、創新思維以及解決問題的能力。但這句話一下子就把你推向了對立面：墨守成規、死板、教條。相反，你應該說“哇，這個想法有意思。接下來該怎么辦？”或“這又是另一種方法，那我們來探討一下利弊吧。”

Really? Are you sure you’ve considered every single possible solution and the list is now exhausted? When you make the mistake of saying these negative phrases, your words convey a pessimistic, passive, even hopeless outlook. This approach is seldom valued in the workplace. Employers notice, recognize and promote a can-do attitude. Despite the glum circumstances, communicate through your words what you can contribute to the situation。真的嗎？你確定已考慮過所有可能的方案、真的窮途末路了嗎？“當你犯錯說出這種消極的話時，說明你為人消極悲觀甚或決絕，職場向來鄙視這種態度。員工必須養成‘能行’的態度。不管情況多么不容樂觀，你都應該從話語上提醒自己面對現實解決問題。

Instead, try something like, “I’ll be glad to check on it again,” “Let’s discuss what’s possible under these circumstances,” or, “What I can do is this。”所以，你應該說“我還是在檢查一遍吧”、“讓我們看看這種情況下還能有什么辦法”或“我能做些什么呢”。

You probably wouldn’t be thrilled

if someone said: “You should have told me about this sooner!” Or, “You could have tried a little harder。” Chances are, these fault-finding words inflict feelings of blame and finger-pointing. Ideally, the workplace fosters

equality, collaboration and teamwork. Instead of making someone feel guilty (even if they are)， take a more productive non-judgmental approach. Say, “Next time, to ensure proper planning, please bring this to my attention immediately。” Or, “In the future, I recommend…”如果有人跟你說“你本該早點告訴我”或“你本可以再努力一點”，你肯定感到悶悶不樂。這些挑刺兒的話含有指責意味。而理想的職場下應該是平等、團隊與協作。與其讓別人倍感愧疚(即便他們確實感到愧疚)，還不如換個積極中立的說法，比如‘下次計劃恰當了就請立即告訴我吧’或‘以后我希望……’”

Reserve the phrase “you guys” for friendly casual conversations and avoid using it in business. Referring to a group of people as ‘you guys’ is not only inaccurate if women are present, it is slang and lowers your level of professionalism. With fellow professionals such as your boss, co-workers and clients, substitute “you guys” with terms such as “your organization” or “your team” or simply “you。”“伙計們”用法比較隨意，職場中應盡量避免。用‘伙計們’指稱一群人并不恰當，由其是有女性在場的時候；而且這是個俗詞，有可能降低你的職業素養。如果有老板、同事及客戶等職業人士在場，還是用“貴公司”、“貴方團隊”或“貴方”比較妥當。

These phrases are known as discounting. They diminish the impact of what follows and reduce your credibility. Remember that your spoken words reveal to the world how much value you place on yourself and your message. For this reason, eliminate any prefacing phrase that demeans the importance of who you are or lessens the significance of what you contribute。這些話語聽上去就像在討價還價。它們不僅削弱了后面話語的影響力，也降低了你本人的可信度。你說出去的話就是在告知世界你的價值觀和想要傳達的信息。因此，別拐彎兒強調你多厲害或你謙虛自己所作的貢獻。

Don’t say, “This may be a silly idea, but I was thinking that maybe we might conduct the quarterly meeting online instead, okay?” Instead, assert your recommendation: “To reduce travel costs and increase time efficiency, I recommend we conduct the quarterly meeting online。”別說什么“這個想法或許有點蠢，但我覺得或許我們可以網上召開季度會議，怎么樣？”，相反，你應該這么建議：“為節約旅費和時間，我建議網上召開季度會議。”

These phrases are commonly known as hedging—seeking validation through the use of overly cautious

or non-committal words. If you truly are seeking approval or looking for validation, these phrases may well apply. However, if your goal is to communicate a confident commanding message and persuade people to see it your way, instead of hedging make your statement or recommendation with certainty。這種話通常是因過分謹慎或為不承擔責任而尋求對方贊同。如果你真想尋求贊同或認可，這倒也沒什么問題。但是，如果你是想傳達確切信息、使人按你的意思理解問題，你就應該更加確定地講明才行。

Imagine an investment banker saying, “This is a good way to invest your money, don’t you think? I’ll proceed, if that’s okay with you。” Instead, you’d probably want to hear something like: “This strategy is a wise investment that provides long-term benefits. With your approval, I’ll wire the money by 5pm today。”假設投資銀行家說“這是個理財的好方法，你不覺得嗎？如果你覺得可行，那我就繼續。”，你肯定覺得奇怪，正常應該是這么說：“這是個明智的投資戰略，可獲取長期利益。只要你同意，我今天下午5點就匯錢。”

Even if these statements are true, no one wants to feel less important than something or someone else. To foster positive relations and convey empathy, say instead: I’d be happy to discuss this with you after my morning meetings. May I stop by your office around 1pm?”就算你說的都是事實，也沒人愿意覺得自己還不如其他事或其他人重要。要想維持良好關系并贏得同感，你應該說：“我早上開完會后就有空跟你討論這個問題了，下午1點左右我去你辦公室怎么樣？”

These are common phrases that might be difficult to eliminate completely from your everyday conversations—but the trick is to gain awareness of the language you’re using. As is often the case with bad habits, we are unconscious of the fact we’re saying career-limiting words and phrases。這些常見的話語可能一時難以立即完全從你的日常講話中改正——但是，你可以加強防范，隨時留意自己所講的話。壞習慣總是不自覺的，我們有時并不能意識到在講一些禍害職業的話語。