The office can be a challenging place to spend eight hours a day in, five days a week.

Dealing with bosses, colleagues, subordinates, customers and suppliers can cause an inordinate amount of stress and irritation, causing you to sometimes blurt out whatever’s on your mind regardless of who’s within earshot.

The reality is that the office environment is like a game of snakes and ladders.

Certain actions can take you “closer” to the finish line (in the form of positive performance appraisals, good increments, generous bonuses, prestigious promotions etc) while others can cause you to slide down the preference scale, to the bottom of the heap where you end up with next to nothing.

Sometimes, things said to others at work, can come back to haunt you.

Here are some phrases you should never utter simply because of the dire consequences that can ensue.

1. ‘I’m too busy – I don’t have time for this’

It’s tempting to say this every time someone tries to dump more work on you without the necessary resources to complete it.

This is a perennial conflict between the one attempting to delegate the task and the one attempting to avoid it.

However, at such times, it’s best to remind yourself that you are an employee and the one delegating the task is your boss.

Whether you like it or not, you’re there to assist that person, and the option to refuse the work is not really open to you.

Instead, try saying with a smile “Sure, I would love to help. Currently, I’m working on x, y and z, all of which are due on [date]. Which of these projects would you like me to re-prioritise, in order to make room for the new one?”

Such a response serves a twofold purpose of establishing your willingness to take on the task, while at the same time making it clear that your plate is already full.

2. ‘Hah, see? I told you so!’

No one likes hearing this, regardless of the fact that the other person did in fact warn you about the very thing that happened.

When faced with a situation where something you predicted was ignored, and later did in fact come to pass just as you said it would, be gracious and resist the urge to gloat.

Instead, respond with tactful phrases such as “Yes, I see that the earlier envisaged outcome has happened. Well, perhaps for now, we can do x y z to deal with the crisis, and in future, improve our processes in order to avoid similar occurrences.

3. ‘No, it cannot be changed. We’ve always done it this way’

Change… why do so many resist it? Well, the answer lies in the fact that change usually, if not always, involves additional work for the stakeholders.

Systems, processes, workflows, protocols, need to be re-designed in order to effect change.

And most of the time, the response is a pure avoidance tactic – you would simply rather not put in the extra effort just to implement someone else’s vision.

However, such views are best kept to yourself. Any lack of enthusiasm in effecting change is usually perceived as a negative trait.

Instead of trying to resist new systems and processes, try to come across to your superiors as an enthusiastic change manager, while at the same time ensuring that all the operational details and corresponding obstacles are communicated clearly in advance.

4. ‘That’s not my problem / that’s not my job / I’m not paid enough to do that’

Employees often say this as a result of a fundamental conflict between themselves and their employers.

At the very crux, the employee seeks to adequately balance the endless demands placed on him by his boss, with his personal and family life; while the employer seeks to get the maximum value out of the employee while expending minimum resources.

Such a mindset is especially prevalent amongst SMEs. But while it may be very tempting to vocalise what is likely to be a true fact, the employee should never, ever say those words out loud.

Employers do not like to hear these words, and immediately brand such employees as “non-team players”.

(The problem is that so-called non-team players usually find themselves with a lower increment and bonus compared to their colleagues).

Instead, consciously make an effort to never say these words and instead look for a more subtle way of communicating in order to gracefully avoid the task.

This article first appeared in kclau.com

KC Lau’s first book Top Money Tips for Malaysians has sold thousands of copies. He launched the first online personal finance course specifically designed for Malaysians, entitled the Money Automation System. He also co-founded many other online financial courses including the Bursa Method, Property Method, Founder Method and REIT Method.