SkillInside

  If you don't have anything productive to say, don't say anything at all. Radio host Bernard Meltzer is famously quoted as having said, " Before you speak , ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid." I find that this is as true  in the workplace  as it is in personal life. That said, here are seven unhelpful words and phrases anyone in the workforce should consider removing from their  professional vocabulary . 1. I can't. "Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right." Henry Ford was quoted as having said in 1947, and it holds up even today. I have my own version. Whenever I'm asked for my best advice, I always say, " 'I can't' is rarely accurate. 'I choose not to' is often the most accurate." I say "rarely" because some things are inarguable truths. I know I can't defy g...

  If you’re a leader, it’s likely that not everyone who works with you will agree with the decisions you make — and that’s okay. Leadership involves making unpopular decisions while navigating complex relationships with colleagues, partners, and clients. But often, you will need to get buy-in from these constituents, and therefore you will need to convince them to change their mind. There is little friction involved in convincing people who are your natural supporters. But trying to change the mind of a dissenter, or a  detractor , is a different story. How do you go about convincing someone who, for one reason or another, doesn’t see eye-to-eye with you? Someone who gives you a flat out “no”? In the recent research we completed for Laura’s book,  Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage , we observed, and then interviewed, more than 60 leaders who were trying to convince business associates and other constituents to change their minds on a course of action that they initia...