Things you should never say to your boss will help keep open, honest and friendly communication between yourself and your manager. Many of the items below relate to your private life and should not be disclosed to people at work. Disclosure of some personal information at work is simply not appropriate in the workplace. There is simply no need for work colleagues to know your personal business. It detracts from good workplace culture and productivity.
Looking for a New Job
Never say to your boss you are looking for a new job. This will destroy the relationship with your manager.
The only exception is when the business has been taken over, sold or in decline. Employees have been told to look for new employment.
Long-Term Career Plans
Never tell your manager about your long-term career plans. He or she will determine that you are only using your current job as a stepping stone to a better future. Your manager will never give you a promotion or more interesting work to complete.
Your manager may take exception to your plans or even become jealous of your career aspirations.
Plans can change over time. You may not end up doing what you said you wanted to do. This could make you look fickle to your manager. Your boss may think you change your mind to much and you’re not suitable for promotion.
I Want Your Job One Day
Never say to your boss you want his or her job one day. Even if your boss has a promotion to a higher position or is retiring in the near future. Making this remark will only sour your relationship with your manager.
You’re Wrong
One sure fire way to upset a personal relationship is to tell your boss he or she is wrong or to point out a mistake. You will open a rift between yourself and your manager that may ruin your job.
Instead of saying directly “you’re wrong”, you should indicate that you don’t understand the decision or the position that your boss has taken. Ask your manager to clarify and explain the directive.
Don’t Change Anything Without Telling Me First
This is one of the worst things you can say to a manager or owner of a business. A good manager will always be looking for better ways to operate the business. Change may involve upgrading the computer system, improving procedures and work instructions, or changing the organizational structure. Business practices, markets, technology and just about everything else in the world changes. You have to expect this is going to happen in any business.
When your manager changes something, he is trying to improve the business. Don’t expect your manager to consult with you over every little change or improvement he is making. Your manager is responsible for the change management process, not you.
If you don’t like your job changed then become a manager yourself. Now you will have more control over the change management process.
Another Employee’s Issues
It’s never a good idea to complain about other people at work and tell your manager to deal with another employee’s conduct or issues. The manager may view you as an office gossip who is playing office politics. Your manager will view your opinion as interfering and this may damage your relationship with your manager.
It can be frustrating to witness other employees making mistakes, producing poor work, arriving late, leaving early or spending time on personal issues at work.
Realistically, other employees are not your responsibility. Their conduct is not your business unless they are breaking the law or creating a safety concern for all.
Personal Financial Position
Never tell your boss your personal financial position.
If you tell your boss you cannot afford to keep up with the rising cost of living, your manager may think you are looking for a pay increase. Maybe your manager will think you are looking for new job with a higher salary.
If you tell your boss you are very comfortable with money you may not receive another pay increase. Your manager may even become envious of your good fortune.
Either way, telling anyone at work about your personal financial position is a bad idea as it can easily backfire and cause you grief.
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Personal Problems
This is similar to your personal financial position.
If you do have personal issues with health, family or friends your boss isn’t the right person to discuss the details with.
If you need time off from work for health or other reasons only disclose the bare minimum of information to your boss. Always try to keep the details of your personal life confidential from everyone at work.
Over Qualified & Too Experienced for the Job
Never complain that you are over qualified and too experienced for your job.
What do you expect your manager to do for you? Suddenly promote you to a higher position with more challenging and rewarding tasks. The job you are doing is the job you applied for and accepted.
Managing your career is your job not your manager. If your bored in your job or simply not getting the right type of work experience you need to move on. Commence the job search process to find a job where you will utilize more of your qualifications and experience.
That’s Not My Job
Never say “that’s not my job” when asked to do something outside the normal scope of your work.
All jobs can change over time and many employees find themselves doing a significantly different job to the one they commenced years ago.
Flexibility and adaptation to the changing work environment is the key to keeping your manager happy. And besides, do you really want to do the same things over and over for many years.
Many people prefer a job that grows and develops their skill set and experience. And the more skills and experience you have the more indispensable you become to the organization. Flexibility really does enhance your job security and promotional prospects.
Is This Going to Benefit Me?
All jobs involve working with other employees at all levels of competency and experience. If you’re asked to help someone else never say “how is this going to benefit me?”. It makes you look unhelpful and not willing to be team player. You’re there to benefit the organization and not just gain benefit for yourself.
However, if you are continuously asked to cover for the incompetency of other employees then you need to say “no”, occasionally. If you’re expected to make up for the mistakes of others, don’t do it. Or do it once and tell your boss that was the last time. And if keeps happening, it’s time to find a better job.
I’m Not Paid Enough to Do That
This is very similar to “that’s not my job”.
This is a silly thing to say to a manager. It indicates that you are not happy with your job and you think you should be earning more money. Your boss will form the opinion that you are not willing to make any extra effort or extent yourself beyond your current position. Your manager will never consider you for a promotion or transfer.
I’m Paid Too Much to Do That
Your manager asks you to do a menial task that is too easy for you. You are not using your qualifications and experience.
All jobs can have some element of easy, simple and boring work. Just perform the simple tasks and move on to more challenging tasks. Or you may try to delegate the easier tasks to another employee but be careful of over-riding your manager’s responsibility.
I Just Heard Richard Got a Pay Increase
Firstly, that information is employee confidential and you simply are not supposed to know about it. Never say that to your boss because he will know you participate in office gossip. You need to act more professional than that.
Saying someone else got a pay increase or promotion and hinting that you should also get the same will make your manager angry with you. Just because another employee received an increase doesn’t mean everyone else is going to receive the same.
Don’t compare yourself to others at work. Present your own unique case for a pay increase to your manager with clearly defined justification.
I Have Nothing to Do
All jobs can run into a slow day when you have little to do. But never say to your manager that you have nothing to do.
Many managers are not very good managers. Some don’t even know what their own staff are doing. If your manager doesn’t manage you properly, manage yourself.
Find something to do. Learn something new. There are many free training courses online. Read the software manual, update the policies and procedures manual, organize some staff training, etc.
This is a golden opportunity to update your skills at work.
However, if not having anything to do continues for a longer period of time, maybe it’s time to search for a better job.
My Job is Boring
Never tell your boss that your job is boring, even if it is boring. This will only destroy the relationship with your boss.
Many jobs become boring and routine once you have been in the organization for a few years. However, you’re receiving a salary or wage to be enthusiastic and productive at work. Try to find ways to make the job interesting and challenging.
If your job is really boring then maybe it’s time to look for a new job.
I Can’t Work with That Person
Trying to influence your manager as to who you work with never works. As an employee you are expected to get along with and work with everyone in the organization. Of course, there may be people at work that you don’t like or respect. But that’s just life. Try to get along with everyone and your job will be a more satisfactory experience.
Employers respect staff who have a mature and developed attitude towards working with others. You may find yourself working alongside staff that are less competent or experienced than you. You may be asked to assist that person with their skills development. These things are common in many jobs. However, if it becomes excessive where you are expected to cover for the incompetency of others, then say “no”. Helping others is ok, but covering for the inadequacies of other staff is never ok.
Don’t Ask Your Boss to Approve Everything You Do
Never ask your manager for approval for everything you do at work. This will make you seem to be annoying and require constant supervision from your manager.
Ask your manager to clearly define, in writing, your explicit responsibilities and authorities. When you are working on tasks that are confined to your explicit responsibilities and authorities just do the work and report the outcome later. There is no need to bother your manager with the details unless he or she wants to know.
Also have a discussion with your manager about your implicit responsibilities and authorities. Every job has an implied level of authority to be able to perform the job function. These are the responsibilities that you have to perform the day-to-day work tasks. Maybe you should also document this with your manager.
This documentation protects you from being asked, in the future, “why did you do that?”. Your explicit responsibilities and authorities document gave you the authority to act without asking permission from your manager.
No
Never tell your boss a “no” when asked to work on a task.
Maybe your boss asks you to work on a new task when you haven’t finished other tasks. Tell you boss that you still have other outstanding deadlines to meet. Say that you can interrupt the tasks you are working on but that will cause you to lose track of where you are on the current tasks. When you come back to those interrupted tasks later it will take more time to pickup from where you left off. Overall, it will take more time to complete all your outstanding tasks.
Ask your manager to prioritize your work task list and make him responsible for you not meeting your deadlines. When you fail to complete tasks on time, which annoys clients, your manager will be responsible, not you.
Conclusion
Diplomacy is the key to any communications with your boss at work. Control your reaction to your manager’s communication.
Also, take care when chatting to other employees. They may repeat your remarks to others in the office which could get back to your manager.
Think about the consequences of your actions and communication. Sometimes it’s better to say nothing or only ask for clarification. Once you degrade the relationship with your manager it’s very difficult to recover the relationship. It’s probably easier to start a new job than try to repair a damaged relationship with your boss.