Five Conversational “Don’ts” to Avoid in the Workplace

Here are conversational don’ts to avoid in the workplace; these statements can lead to negative conversations that are unproductive and promote conflict.

• The “accusatory” statement. Reject all statements (or questions) that appear to be focused, but really hide or bury the true feelings of the person speaking. Often, these comments may sound as though they are issue-oriented, but the speaker or listener moves the focus to personal or accusatory phrasing.
  
  
• The “sympathy” statement. This technique is often perfected by your children. “All my friends can stay out late. So why can’t I?” While many adults are immune to this tactic, some may still use it in the workplace.
  
  
• The “you do it, too” statement. Common among adults in personal situations, this counterproductive statement can bring a cloud over the workplace. For example, “Why are you complaining, you do the same thing every day.” Statements like this are obviously unproductive and often move the focus from a professional, workplace issue to a personal conflict.
  
  
• The “change the words in place of evidence” statement. This is a common conversational technique that quickly becomes transparent. The speaker, lacking a valid base for their position or opinion, simply changes words in the conversation to attempt to prove their point without valid evidence or facts.
  
  
• The oft-used “it’s just common sense” statement. Similar to the conversational "don’t" above, speakers will use this statement as justification for their position, often having no facts or evidence for their opinion. This classic bad faith statement is often more destructive than the type noted above because it can be demeaning to the listener.

These conversations will seldom start out as confrontational, yet they can transition to workplace friction or conflict, and can produce negative results that will hurt performance and job enjoyment for all parties involved.

Be aware that seemingly meaningless statements can, over time, negatively affect your workplace and sometimes your career path. Stick to the issues and facts at hand, be positive, and maintain a consistent image of professionalism and motivation.

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