Taking into account your emails or the conversations you have had with your boss, how many times did you use the word “just”? Never, a few times or can’t keep a count? Here’s why one must delete that four-letter word because it’s childish.
In an article, Ellen Petry Leanse, former Apple and Google executive, wrote, “A few years back I noticed something: the frequency with which the word ‘just’ appeared in emails and conversations from female co-workers and friends. It hit me that there was something about the word I didn’t like. It was a ‘permission’ word, in a way — a warm-up to a request, an apology for interrupting, shy knock on a door before asking ‘Can I get something I need from you?’” She further suggested that removing ‘just’ from conversations “allows for presenting ideas in the work place in a more intelligent and confident way.”
What’s the big deal with the words you use at work?
Did you know that more than your IQ, it’s your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) that differentiates you as a good and able leader? For instance, if your boss is abusive, then he has low EQ as he is an example of one who can’t handle stress. People working under him will demonstrate negative emotions too — they will be demotivated and stressed out.
The scenario will be different if the boss is more conscientious with his words. In an interview with DC, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recounted his experience working under Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates: “I will never forget the first email I got from him with some pointed feedback on a set of features in a product that I was building. It was exciting that the CEO was directly sending me a mail on a feature that I never thought he would notice.”
Emotional Intelligence
“Emotional Intelligence is an awareness of our own feelings, how we make others feel and regulating our emotions and behaviour,” explains Dr K. Prashant, clinical psychologist, Yashoda Hospital adding, “This was a concept that was brought forth by Daniel Coleman who stated that to be successful the top-most determining feature is not your IQ, but your EQ. It’s not about dominance, but how you make a person feel when it comes to running a successful organisation.”
There are certain red flag words and phrases that are a big no-no at work, such as “whatever”, “I don’t know”, “I don’t care” etc. “Avoid using ‘you’, if starting a negative or critical sentence; omit using ‘very’ before a description, combination of should-could-would symbolises false humility. Also, go easy on the word ‘try’ — ‘I tried my best’ is like saying ‘the thing you asked me to do is not that important, but I gave it a shot’,” he says, adding, “My friend, who’s a recruiter for Microsoft, told me the top three words they disliked in interviews are — ‘yeah’, ‘hate’, and ‘like’.
