12 Phrases That Make Even Good Workers Look Unprofessional
Why it’s important for you to pay attention to the way you speak to your colleagues.
Stokkete | Shutterstock Every workplace has its own distinct culture. Some workplaces are casual, while others have strict guidelines on employee conduct. Company culture establishes how employees interact with each other, yet even the most laid-back offices are based around an atmosphere of professionalism.
Professionalism can be described as the conduct expected of employees, including dedication to their job and displaying respect and politeness. Employees are often judged on their level of professionalism along with the quality of their work. The concept of professionalism measures people’s attitudes toward their jobs. Sometimes, even good workers look unprofessional, so they need to pay attention to how they speak to their colleagues.
Here are 12 phrases that make even good workers look unprofessional:
1. ‘I’ll try’
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The phrase “I’ll try” can make even good workers look unprofessional. Putting in effort is generally considered a good thing, yet the underlying message behind “I’ll try” sounds dismissive, as though the person saying it doesn’t actually want to try hard. It comes off as half-hearted and non-committal as if the employee doesn’t consider the work important enough to give it their all.
If a manager asks an employee to complete a task, saying “I’ll try” also suggests that they don’t believe in themselves enough to get it done. That lack of confidence makes it extra challenging for workers to meet expectations because they’re already expecting themselves to fail.
Coach Alex Mathers pointed out that not believing in yourself at work can unintentionally sabotage your productivity. He deconstructed the idea that someone has to believe in themselves before they can do hard things, explaining how that mindset “Holds us back because we are waiting for a feeling that doesn’t come.”
He advised workers to shift their attention to how they feel and the task before them.
“Focus on the step,” he recommended. “Focus on the system. That’s all there is. When your focus is here, you can’t help but be driven to move.”
2.‘I don’t have time for this’
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The phrase “I don’t have time for this” makes great employees look unprofessional because it implies poor time management skills. It also makes it sound like they’re unwilling to help, especially if they don’t offer alternative solutions or time-frames to do what’s being asked of them.
In her book “Happiness at Work,” professional coach Jessica Pryce-Jones revealed that workers spend an average of 90,000 hours on the job, which amounts to one-third of their lives. Yet somehow, there’s never enough time to complete what needs to be done.
According to an article in Frontiers in Psychology, most people feel “chronic time pressure,” which the researchers defined as “a combination of an objective time shortage and a subjective experience of being rushed.” They noted that time management programs can offer people the feeling of having more control over their time while relieving stress, yet focusing on time management can also cause “time deepening,” or “cramming a larger number of activities into a shorter amount of time, leading to negative experiences of time fragmentation, time strain, and being rushed.”
To achieve positive time use, people need a balance between activities and an alignment of those activities with their goals and priorities. They also need to be efficient with their time use, meaning that they organize, initiate, and execute their activities smoothly. Lastly, people need to feel a sense of “time mastery,” which the researchers classified as an absence of time anxiety and a sense of control over their time.
Even if workers think that their schedules are too full to fit anything else in, saying, “I don’t have time for this,” reflects poorly on their ability to be flexible, which makes even good workers look unprofessional.
3. ‘That’s not my responsibility’
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Someone who says, “That’s not my responsibility,” when asked to do something risks looking unprofessional, even if they’re an excellent employee. The phrase makes them sound uncooperative and gives the impression that they’re not open to being flexible and jumping in when extra help is needed.
Setting workplace boundaries is crucial for achieving a sense of work-life balance. Yet when a worker exclaims, “That’s not my responsibility,” it can appear like they’re pushing back in a way that reveals just how rigid their mindset is, instead of seeing the ask as an opportunity for growth.
Leadership coach Tobias C. Shaw pointed out the value of showing up to work with positive energy, sharing that “Enthusiasm is an amplifier. ... The minimum we can offer others is our energy." He said being enthusiastic “can offer an alternative to many people’s mundane approach to work.”
It isn’t always easy to muster excitement for the work at hand, and faking positive energy isn’t a particularly good look. At the least, having a gracious attitude makes it seem like you were raised with good manners and helps you avoid being labeled as unprofessional.
4. ‘I’ll get to it when I can’
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The phrase “I’ll get to it when I can” implies that the employee is not great at prioritizing what needs to be done or procrastinates to the point of being overwhelmed by work. While most people procrastinate some of the time, chronic procrastination can have an extremely negative impact on their professional lives and self-image.
Psychology professor Fuschia Sirios researched the link between procrastination, stress, and self-compassion. People who procrastinate experience high levels of stress and low levels of self-compassion, meaning that they criticize themselves for procrastinating. Sirios noted that cultivating self-compassion can mediate a person’s anxiety and procrastination, meaning that the kinder they are to themselves, the less stress they feel.
Yet not all procrastination is bad, as an article from the Journal of Social Psychology revealed. The researchers shared that there are two different types of procrastinators: passive procrastinators, who are “paralyzed by their indecision to act and fail to complete tasks on time,” and active procrastinators, who are seen as a “positive” kind of procrastinator. An active procrastinator puts tasks off until there’s a time crunch, which they believe helps them get the job done.
Saying, “I’ll get to it when I can,” is a fairly dismissive way of approaching a colleague's request, and it can definitely make even good workers look unprofessional.
5. ‘I don’t see the point of this’
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The phrase “I don’t see the point of this” makes even good workers look unprofessional. It disregards how important a task might be. Using this phrase frames the person saying it as lacking ambition and drive since they’re avoiding what needs to be done instead of taking on the challenge.
If a worker says they don’t see a task's point, it could mean their job satisfaction is low. A Gallup poll on work enjoyment reported a strong link between liking your job and feeling like you’re thriving. 37% of workers who enjoy their jobs rated their lives positively, while only 21% rated themselves as thriving if they didn’t like their jobs. In addition, 17% of workers who don’t like their jobs rated themselves as struggling.
The gap between workers thriving and just surviving seems to hinge on how much enjoyment they get from their jobs. As the researchers concluded, “A good job is at the foundation of a life well-lived and can improve all aspects of well-being.”
6. ‘I can’t work with that person’
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Having a toxic coworker can make the workday a true challenge, but outright declaring, “I can’t work with that person,” can make you look unprofessional. A paper from Harvard Business School defined a toxic worker as someone who “engages in behavior that is harmful to an organization, including either its property or people.”
Worker toxicity is directly connected to productivity, as toxic behavior “can cause major organizational costs, including customer loss, loss of employee morale, [and] increased turnover.”
The authors also noted that the presence of an individual toxic worker tends to ripple out, influencing toxicity in their coworkers.
Toxic behavior is a valid reason to refuse to work with a particular person, although protecting your peace could mean appearing inflexible and uncooperative.
7. ‘I didn’t know’
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“I didn’t know” is a phrase that indicates that you didn’t take the initiative to find out the answer. Passivity is a trait most bosses look down on since results require action. While there is nothing inherently wrong with admitting you don’t know something, saying “I didn’t know” as an excuse for not doing your work can make you seem like you didn’t care enough to stay informed.
Communication is the backbone of any relationship, from personal to professional. Maintaining direct communication can be intimidating, but avoiding it will put you at a disadvantage. Coach Alex Mathers shared habits that can turn anyone into a better communicator, including asking questions.
He explained that asking questions helps foster empathy and respect since it shows that you’re listening to your coworkers and staying curious about their perspectives. Asking questions is crucial for working together on team projects because showing up fully prepared for your assignment keeps the workflow moving forward.
8. ‘I can’t help you with that’
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Saying “I can’t help you with that” shuts down the possibility of collaborating with your coworkers or boss, which is often where the best ideas come from. An article from the Association of Psychological Science explained that collaborative working relationships benefit people individually and support an organization’s overall growth.
Collaboration should be seen as an opportunity to learn new skills and perspectives because it shows workers different approaches. Employees declaring that they can’t help their colleagues give the impression that they’re not team players.
9. ‘I’m not good with technology’
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Job industries constantly evolve, so keeping up with the latest trends is essential. The phrase “I’m not good with technology” can make workers look unprofessional because it signals that they’re giving up on learning something new before they’ve even tried it.
The phrase emphasizes a worker’s stagnancy rather than their ability to adapt. Adaptability is a highly prized skill in any work environment. Aneesh Raman, the Vice President of LinkedIn, explained that being able to adjust quickly to changes on the job is a top skill for workers.
“Adaptability is the best way to have agency right now,” Raman said. “At the core of managing change is building that muscle of adaptability.”
Employees who cultivate their adaptability position themselves to move forward as a company transforms, whereas someone who says they’re not good with technology will likely be left behind.
10. ‘That isn’t one of my strengths’
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While the phrase “That isn’t one of my strengths” highlights a worker’s astute level of self-awareness, it can also leave a bad taste in your boss's mouth. If you say this, it gives the impression you're unwilling to step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself, which is a highly sought-after trait in the workplace.
When asked to complete a task, a worker who says, “That isn’t one of my strengths," announces their limitations for everyone to hear. They emphasize what they don’t know rather than their innate desire to learn something new. Employees looking to improve themselves are immensely valued at any company because they are committed to their professional journey and transformation.
While a lack of confidence is often the root cause of a worker using this phrase, leadership coach Ann Howell shared that low confidence isn’t a flaw and isn't unfixable. “Confidence can be learned and practiced." She explained that it begins with becoming more self-aware, changing your mindset, and bringing your full self to work—or wherever you go.
“Your voice is important. It deserves to be heard. But you have to practice confident behaviors to start believing that,” Howell concluded.
11. ‘Just tell me what to do’
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The phrase “Just tell me what to do” shows you can't think for yourself and aren’t trying to enhance your problem-solving skills. You don’t want to do the work to figure things out, so you rely on your manager to connect the dots.
Asking for guidance and clarity is a positive trait, but someone who leans on their colleagues too hard shows a lack of initiative that can make them look unprofessional.
Workers don’t always have to go above and beyond. Staying within the exact parameters of your role isn’t necessarily bad, especially if you’re seeking more work-life balance. However, saying, “Just tell me what to do,” sends the message that you’ve thoroughly checked out, which can harm your chances of keeping your job and makes you seem unprofessional.
12. ‘I don’t work well under pressure’
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Saying, “I don’t work well under pressure,” isn’t something a boss particularly wants to hear, and it can make even good workers seem unprofessional. It emphasizes a worker’s self-doubt rather than their resilience. Some workers thrive in a fast-paced environment, while others struggle to keep their heads above water, but an outright declaration that you don’t work well under pressure makes it seem like you’re quitting before you’ve even tried.
Everyone has insecurities, even CEOs, yet learning to push beyond them is part of thriving on the job. Using the phrase “I don’t work well under pressure” essentially means you’re letting your imposter syndrome win. It shows you’re leaning into a fixed mindset rather than challenging yourself to change.
People often avoid high-pressure work situations because they worry they’ll fail. Yet failing is a direct path to learning and growing, which is at the heart of showing your fullest potential on the job.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis, and the entertainment industry.