Do you have the right to dissent? Yes. Do you have the right to resist bullying at workplace? Yes. Honesty is the best policy? Yes. Does that mean you can say anything you want to your boss? Definitely not. Whether you are a fresher or someone who has been around for a while, there are certain things you should never, ever say to your boss. Not to reinforce the hierarchy, but as common courtesy and as a mark of professionalism. Here’s what we think are five of the things to never say to your boss:

1. “That’s not part of my job”

It shows that you are not a team player, which is definitely going to reflect in your performance analysis. Being flexible is appreciated a lot, besides, think of all the additional skills you are going to acquire in the process. However, it is important to distinguish between when it is required of you to be flexible and when you are being pushed over. Even in the latter case, be diplomatic in how you refuse the work, rather than saying “that’s not what I was hired to do/that’s not what I am supposed to do.”

2. “I’ll leave”

Never threaten your boss to leave. It is almost like digging your own grave, because after all, you may not be as indispensable as you assumed yourself to be. It simply portrays you as an arrogant person, and worse, a quitter. Once you have made the mistake of saying this to your boss, don’t be surprised to find out the next day that a replacement for you is in place and you are on your way out.

3. “We did it better at our old work place” 

A classic ‘tongue in cheek’ situation. Of course your boss doesn’t want to be told that his predecessor did the same thing better, or that your ex-boss was smarter at it. You may be offering your advice in all innocence, but it will, in all probability, be taken as an insult. A better way is to reframe it as a suggestion – “I think this may also work if we do it (this way)”.

4. “It’s not my fault, you should ask ‘X’ ”

The blame game never does any good and is one of the worst blunders we all seem to commit at one point or another in the ‘world of work’. If you have been called  and asked why things went or didn’t go a certain way, even if you have no idea and weren’t in charge, do not shift the blame. If you do not have an immediate answer, ask for some time and get back with a response backed with facts and without any blame shifting.

5. “Do you want me to set you up/ do you want my expert relationship advice?”

The worst thing to say to your boss ever. Even though your boss may be extra nice and super friendly with you, getting into this zone is a strict No-No! Remember that it is highly unprofessional to offer your employer any form of personal advice, unless (s)he explicitly asks you for it. Even then, you need to be tacit and avoid that topic as much as you can. But of your own accord, never be charitable and offer your employer relationship advice! And being drunk is certainly not an excuse, it doubles your offense twice as much.

And if you have said/done any of the above already, and have had no repercussions at work – hey, you are a very lucky person, indeed. We hope that you truly value your boss, you are one of the privileged ones! Thank your stars and go thank him/her today for being a great boss! And if you don’t count yourself among the lucky ones and have to walk a tightrope at work everyday, we suggest you definitely go read our post on this – and thank us instead!

What else do you think are the things to never say to your boss ? Made any mistakes like these and learnt from them? We would love to learn too! Leave a comment below!

P.S:  If you have a career challenge that you need some confidential guidance on, mail me at suchitra@oorjabizops.com and I will call you back.

If you would be interested in partnering with an energetic, talented and committed all-women team for fulfilling all your staffing and content needs, mail us at contact@oorjabizops.com.