Below is a great article by someone in a professional organization to which I belong -- how refreshing would it be if all in the workplace behaved as this list directs:
10
THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY AT WORK
May 3,
2013 by Shelley Riseden
From
Paralegal Alliance
While
everyone knows that you should not say certain things at work, or to your boss,
I have
overheard
all of the following things, which should never be said at work, being said at
work by
paralegals
and other legal staff. Legal professionals are supposed to have excellent
communication
skills, knowing how to use words and language that are clear and concise.
Therefore,
saying any of the following things at work can make you appear unprofessional,
unmotivated,
and as if you have a poor attitude.
1. That’s not my job. No matter how long
or detailed it is, no job description is 100%
complete,
and there will always be something that needs done, that you have never done
before,
or
that it is not generally your job to do. If your boss or a co-worker asks you
to do something,
even if
it not your job, just do it. No one wants to work with someone who cannot take
the added
responsibility
of one more task, and certainly, no one wants that person working for them.
Besides,
whatever your boss asks you to do is your job. Instead of thinking, that’s not
my job,
think,
I am always open to learning something new. Your employer will appreciate that
you can
handle
anything that comes along; even it is not your job to handle it.
2. I don’t know. While it is okay to not
know something, when you are asked you a question
that
you do not know the answer to, you should not say, “I don’t know”, but instead,
“I will find
out”.
You should then go and find out. Employers like proactive employees who can
find the
answer,
not ones who say they do not know, and forget about it, or that have to be told
to go find
out
when asked a question they do not already know the answer to. Remember, your
boss is
asking
you a question because he or she needs the answer to it, not because they wish
to quiz you
or
test your knowledge in any way. You do not need to know everything, but as a
paralegal, you
should
be willing and able to find out.
3. I don’t know how. If you are asked to
do something at work that you do not know how to
do,
ask someone to show you, find an instructional video online, call a friend, or
figure it out
some
other way, but never say, “I don’t know how”. Your boss is not interested in
what you do
not
know how to do, only in you doing whatever he or she asks you to do. It is okay
to need to be
taught
to do something or to have to figure it out; it is not okay to shirk the
responsibility of
doing
something your boss needs done by saying, “I don’t know how.”
4. That’s not how I’ve always done it. It
does not matter to your employer how you have
always
done something or how you did it somewhere else; how your current boss wants
you to
do it
today is all that matters. If you have a better way of doing something, by all
means, speak
up,
but when being shown how to do something, do not comment about how you have
done it in
the
past or when you worked for someone else.
5. It’s not my problem. If there is a
problem at work, it is your problem. As a paralegal,
your
job is to do everything the attorney does not have time to do, or that would be
fiscally
irresponsible
for the attorney do to him or herself. This includes taking responsibility for
any
problems
that arise. Remember, if it is a problem for your boss, or could cause him or
her
problems,
it is your problem. Instead of viewing problems as someone else’s, think about
how
they
might impact the firm as a whole, and then take on the responsibility of
solving the firm’s
problems,
in order to ensure that they do not become your problem.
6. I don’t know why he/she hasn’t called you
back. Telling a client, court personnel, or
opposing
counsel that you gave the attorney their message and do not know why he or she
has
not
returned their call is unprofessional and tantamount to throwing your boss
under the bus.
Even
if the attorney should have returned a call months ago, never say that you do
not know why
they
have not. The best thing to say to a caller, who has left a message and is
following up, is
that
you are sure that your boss received the previous message and will get with
them as soon as
he or
she is able. You may also want to ensure them that you will let your boss know
they called
to
follow up on the message.
7. I’m too busy. The work in a law office
or legal department has to get done, whether you
are
busy or not. “Let me see where I can work that into my schedule” is a much
better response
than “I’m
too busy”. It conveys the fact that you are very busy, so that your boss will
know that
you
are hard at work, while not sounding as if you are refusing to do the
additional work he or
she
wants you to do.
8. I’ll try. Never say that you will ‘try’
to do anything. If you are unsure if you can complete
a
task, let your boss know that you have some concerns about it, but that you
will do your best,
and
ask questions as you go, if needed. Saying you will ‘try’ sounds as if you are
already looking
for an
excuse to not complete the task. Imagine if your boss told you that he or she
would ‘try’ to
pay
you next week. You may not want to come into work if your boss only going to ‘try’
to pay
you.
9. I can’t. There is nothing that a good
paralegal cannot do; there are only things that he or
she
has never done before, may need help doing, or may not do well. Never say that
you can’t do
something
you are asked to do. If you need to look online or call someone to figure out
how, do
it. If
you need help with the task, ask for it. If you are not sure how to get
started, ask your boss
or a
co-worker for suggestions. Whatever you have to do to figure how to do
everything your
boss
asks you to do, do it. An employee who is frequently unable to complete tasks
is at risk for
losing
his or her job.
10. I don’t have anything to do. Even in a
small law office with a laid-back atmosphere, there
is
always something to do. If you have completed all of the tasks in your inbox,
ask your boss or
a
co-worker if there anything you can help them with, or consider cleaning out
client files,
organizing
a filing cabinet, sending out invoices, running maintenance on your computer,
or
updating
the firm’s forms and templates. Whatever you do, do not tell your boss that you
don’t
have anything to do.
