6 things that will make you sound clueless at work

6 things that will make you sound clueless at work6 things that will make you sound clueless at workIn general, its smart to say what you mean. In the workplace, people tend to use overwrought business jargon to compensate for leid knowing their stuff. But theres a less-apparent risk to doing just the reverse. If you sound like a walking Instagram comment, you might start to alienate yourself in your own sekretariat and lose your coworkers trust - even if they use those same kinds of words expressions when theyre texting their roommates.Some terms and phrases are best left to casual exchanges with friends and family. Here are a few you probably shouldnt let creep into your arbeitszimmer vocabulary.1. No problemI know - what could possibly be wrong with this one? Its so innocuous, right? Youre asked to photocopy a document or put together a meeting agenda. Easy enough. No problem, you reply.The expression comes up in all kinds of business environments, and the tone is often chipper and upbeat, so you dont give a second thought to using it periodically. Few people who hear no problem take it literally, but at a level just beneath consciousness awareness, it telegraphs an underhanded resentment. The speaker implies the possibility that somebody has created an issue that theyre willing to let slide.Its not the (nearly absurd) risk of a literal misinterpretation that you should guard against, though. Its the likelihood that youll default to no problem when presented with tasks you consider menial- giving directions, taking minutes, photocopying, wrapping a package, or stepping out of someones way in an elevator - and unconsciously show your annoyance with them (including nonverbally).RelatedFour Words And Phrases To Avoid When Youre Trying To Sound ConfidentChances are you wont say no problem when your supervisor asks you to prepare an important report or assigns you some other significant task. When a work duty carries more weight, youre more likely to ask smart questions about what itll take to do it right, convey your enthusiasm, and declare that youre up to the task. But shouldnt you try to be seen as the person who approaches all your work that way? Scrap no problem - it isnt helping you show your best side. (And after all, its a double negative.)2. WhateverLike no problem, this word usually has a flippant tone to it, but thats not the main downside to using it. Whatever is often used to dismiss another persons idea. If I say, Sure, whatever after somebody has offered a suggestion, I might think Im just saying I dont mind one way or the other - kind of like, doesnt matter to me, go for it But it wont always come across that supportively.Instead, it might signal that I disagree but will go along with it anyway - maybe because I dont have the power or the aktion to convince my colleagues otherwise, or maybe just because Ive got a martyr complex.Whatever denotes resentful resignation, even if it doesnt sound that way to your own ears. Much the same is true of other tepid notes of assent, like yeah, yup, sure, and fine. Use these words with your friends, but not in professional settings where the stakes are fundamentally different.3. It is what it isClichs like this make you sound like a lazy thinker. We default unthinkingly to empty expressions when were trying to give the impression we have something to say but really dont, and also when we want to sound as though were comfortable with something but might not be.Business is business, it is what it is, and phrases like them arent just meaningless and repetitious - they sound like you dont really care or that your brain just isnt in gear. Good luck getting promoted that way.4. Pissed offThis expression is heard around the office more commonly than you might think, and even when the speaker is referring to how somebody else is feeling, it still reflects badly on them. Saying Im pissed off that I didnt get that vacation time makes you sound angry and uncooperative - that much is obvious.But if you say she welches really pissed off after that meeting, referring to your boss, youre subtly expressing a criticism of her (even if you think she had every right to be furious). Likewise, if you remark, I think I pissed off Doug yesterday, youre basically confessing that you cant get along with others (even if you think Doug was in the wrong).From just about every angle, this expression doesnt work in your favor. Yes, people in your office - including you - are going to get upset from time to time. That much is natural. But how you speak about those breakdowns in collaboration should be more, well, collaborative. That goes for email, too, by the way.RelatedSix Ways To Write Emails That Dont Make People Silently Resent You5. CantTo be fair, you cant get away with never saying cant - its just too common and useful a contraction - and Im not suggesting you try. But it is smart to be on you guard for the contexts where you use it.For example, you mig ht innocently say at a meeting, I cant get that report to you until next Monday. And fine, maybe you really cant because it just isnt feasible. But phrasing it like this makes you sound ineffective- like the person who disappoints. Why not flip it around and say what you can do instead? Ill have that report to you next Monday. There - suddenly youre somebody who delivers, and is helpfully realistic about timelines to boot.Try to avoid dont in similar situations. Rather than saying, I dont know what the solution is, go with, Lets go over what some possible solutions might look like - I could really use some input. Then youll sound bright and collegial.6. HopeHeres another perfectly innocuous word that can sound defeatist and passive (or even passive aggressive) around the office if you arent careful. In some contexts, it can make you sound less than confident. For example, if you say, I hope well meet our sales target, youre really planting the opposite idea - the possibility that you may not.Obviously, that possibility is real and may even be one that you want to impress upon your team in order so they know what the stakes are. But then why not just say, I really want us to meet our sales target, and I know we can get there?Similarly, I hope our team can agree on a plan sounds like you dont exactly see how youll manage to. Instead, just say, We expect to hammer out a plan or were committed to coming up with something everybody agrees on. Even if you might not actually be confident thatll happen, you should probably refrain from showing it.No matter what, people invariably draw impressions of us based on the words we say. And by the very nature of language, those infinite shades of interpretation are impossible to control. But its still possible to avoid the expressions that may impart resentment, resignation, or a lack of commitment that you might not even actually feel.Avoid these six words and phrases and youll start to sound just a little more collegial and confident. In the workplace especially, a little often goes a long way.This article originally appeared on Fast Company.