10 words and phrases to exclude from your manager's dictionary (1/2)

Without quality communication skills as a manager, you will not last long. There are certain words and phrases that will have a poisonous effect on your relationships. Below are a few examples that are best avoided.

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"You don't understand"

Even without the intention of appearing omniscient, the belief you understand a problem better than anyone else restricts you. It mainly prevents your accessing a different perspective and limits the perception of your openness. You can support what you "understand" more in collaboration. Next time, you should say something like: "I have some ideas about that, but I'm interested in what you think."

"There's nothing I can do about it"

Resilience is based on positivity and a focus on what one can control. There is always something to be done. You can start by changing the way things are. Focus on what you can change and learn more about the situation. Highlight value, positives, learning. If you feel nothing can be done, you lose ownership of not only the problem but also your leadership by adopting the attitude of the victim. If you need more clarity and information, wait a while before reacting.

"But"

Regardless of what precedes this word, its use disrupts the communication line. An excellent replacement is "and". While "but" indicates consolation ("but we can do it"), "and" offers additional information, the ability to bring ideas together, and work together to transform. Think of "and" as the glue that binds ideas together, "but" as the scissors that cut them.

"Almost"

This word reduces the value of a message. "I'm almost sure." If you are not sure, it is better to state the level of uncertainty because "almost" doesn't define anything. Instead, try "I'm more than 50% sure."

"Maybe"

People seek clarity and responsibility from leaders. An offer of "maybe" does not provide this. "Maybe we can do it." This leads to doubt and the question of what is missing. Sometimes this word is the best choice but in such cases it should be used intentionally.

 

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Article source Business Know-How - U.S. website focused on small and home business
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10 words and phrases to exclude from your manager's dictionary (1/2)

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