Navigating the intricate landscape of corporate communication can be a tightrope walk. The difference between a career-limiting move and a career-boosting statement often lies in the subtleties of your wording. Whether you’re new to the corporate world or looking to refine your communication skills, this post is designed to equip you with the linguistic tools to avoid misunderstandings, build strong professional relationships, and progress smoothly in your corporate journey. We’ll provide you with side-by-side comparisons: on one side, the phrases or requests you should avoid; on the other, the recommended corporate-friendly alternatives. These practical examples will form a comprehensive guide on mastering corporate-approved language, teaching you how to frame your words (1), phrases (2), and requests (3) in ways that keep you in good standing and enhance your professional prospects within a large corporation.
1. Approved Wording
Let’s explore common phrases and statements that might seem harmless but can be potentially damaging or misinterpreted in a corporate setting. We’ll compare these with alternative expressions that convey your message more tactfully and effectively.
| Don’t say those | Instead say these |
|---|---|
| role (function, position relative to others), responsibilities (obligations, duties, liabilities) | commitment |
| task, action item, deliverable, project, workload | initiative |
| target, objective, purpose, goal | ambition |
| accomplishment, achievement, advancement, sucess | milestone |
| learn | improve |
| lucky | tenacious |
| difficulty | opportunity |
| struggle | journey, adventure |
| problem, issue, obstacle, threat, exposure, vulnerability, risk, exposure | challenge |
| advantage, strength, differenciation | game-changer, lever, competitive edge, value proposition |
| too hard | informative |
| stressful | stimulating |
| failure | attempt |
| mistake | lesson, key learnings |
| if only | next time |
| not bad | very good |
| easy | low-hanging fruit |
| new | net-new, brand-new |
| doable | scalable |
| ressources, time, budget | bandwidth |
| no brainer (condescending), self-explanatory (condescending) | simple choice, clear-cut option, conventional wisdom |
| brainstorm | idea shower |
| technique, method, process | best practices |
| business plan | strategic staircase |
| contract (trigger word) | agreement (How about we get the paperwork out of the way?) |
| buy (trigger word) | own, invest, make the difference, bring this home with you |
2. Approved Phrasing
This section delves deeper into the nuances of corporate communication, offering examples of how to rephrase ideas and opinions in a manner that is assertive yet respectful, ensuring that your point is made with confidence without stepping on any toes.
| Don’t say those | Instead say these |
|---|---|
| I will be surprised if it works … | With a bit of tenacity … |
| I am too busy. | I don’t have the bandwith. |
| I can’t deliver x,y,z today. | I can deliver a,b,c in 2 days. Your stakeholder insist they want it today? To complete this workload within the requested time frame, it would take 2-3 dedicated people, who can assist me? Your stakeholder asks you why not x,y,z today? I am following my department’s SLAs. Your manager asks you why not x,y,z today? I have the d,e,f, deliveries prioritised today as per our department’s SLAs. |
| I have to perform x,y,z. | Agreement with stakeholders: I chose to perform x,y,z. Coming from leadership: I am challenged by leadership with performing x,y,z. |
| We have no other choice. | Let me remind you of our current options. |
| They won’t let me do x,y,z. | I can escalate x,y,z and personally deliver you a,b,c. |
| I will think about it. | I will consider it. |
| I think maybe we should … | It will be best if we … (you know what you are doing) |
| Sorry to bother you but […]. Just following up on […]. Just wanted to check in. I haven’t heard back from you since […]. | Instead, always offer smth. When can I expect an update? Let us know how we help pushing forward […]. |
| Sorry for the delay. | Thank you for your patience. |
| Sorry, my bad, I totally missed that mistake. | Nice catch! Updated file attached. Thanks for letting me know. |
| Hopefully that makes sense. | Let me know if you have questions. |
| I haven’t forgotten. | It is on my radar. |
| I don’t want to discuss it now. | Let’s circle back on this. Let’s revisit this topic at a later time. |
| I don’t want to discuss it here. | Let’s take this offline. Let’s discuss this in an altenative forum. |
| Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. | Let’s not boil the ocean on this one. |
| Worry about your own work. | Let’s focus on our own respective tasks. |
| How was I supposed to know that? | This information had not been shared with me prior to this. |
| I made a mistake and change my mind. | After careful consideration, I have decided to pivot. |
| Can I borrow some ideas? | Can I pick up your brain for a second? |
| We need to synergize. | Two heads are better than one, let’s ask for someone else advice. |
| It is what it is. | I understand your frustration but my hands are tied. |
| You’re welcome. No problem. No worries. | Always happy to help! |
| Could I possibly leave early please? | I will need to leave for a medical appointment at 5PM. |
| What works best for you. | Could you do 3PM? (Your schedule matters too) |
| To be honest, to be frank … | Never say these, you’re always honest 🙂 |
| Ok, no worries, will do. | Let’s go! |
| Thank you. | I am happy and grateful. |
| You’re wrong. | I value your input and I can see where you’re coming from, but after careful consideration of the facts, I believe a different approach may be more appropriate. |
| We must not take his argument at face value. | Before making any decisions, it is important that we strengthen his argumentation with additional evidence to corroborate the rationale. |
| There is still a lot to be done. Much remains to be done. | Things are looking up. Things are moving foward. |
| He is old school. | His ideas are strongly reminiscent from the ideas that prevailed 20 years ago. |
| We are better than them (competitors). | They are good, have you talk to them? What’s stopping you from working with them? |
| Transmitting your leadership requests to your collaborators. | To embody your leadership authority, pick a line from their speach or email and repeat it at least three times to your stakeholders. |
| I look forward to hearing back from you. | I need your feedback by end of day Thursday so I can communicate it to the client during our call on Friday morning. |
| Can I correct you? | Insist on your clients mistakes, letting him/her correct herself. |
3. Approved Requests
Here, we dissect various scenarios where you need to make requests or proposals. We’ll illustrate the dos and don’ts, showing you how to frame your requests to maximize acceptance and minimize resistance. This section is particularly valuable for those who need to navigate complex hierarchies and bureaucratic challenges during interviews or quarterly reviews.
| Don’t say those | Instead say these |
|---|---|
| I want to learn. | I value experiences where I am able to grow and always add more value. |
| Though I don’t want to be micromanaged. | I perform best and feel most engaged when I have more autonomy. I believe that a flexible approach leads to more effective guidance and insights and faster personal growth. |
| I have the skills and experience you need. | I believe I can make a difference. |
| Hence, I expect to be promoted. | I want to make an impact. |
| I have been supporting you for a year now and I want to get promoted as a result. | I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had to support my colleagues, and I’ve grown a lot from these experiences. I feel ready to get ahead in my career now. I ask you to trust me with taking on more responsibilities in my role to contribute even more significantly to the team. I want to create and develop […]. |
Explore more
To learn more about corporate communication, check out this post: Navigating the Final Frontier of Workplace Communication