23 Things Not To Say To Your Coworkers

23 Things Not To Say To Your CoworkersIts important to get along with your coworkers. You dont have to be best friends, but you do have to make sure you dont alienate or offend anyone you never know when you might need a favor or a contact or a helping hand. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Here are 23 things you should absolutely avoid doing or saying at all costs. Keep your conversation non-contentious and keep your work life drama free.1. How much do you make?This is an awkward and unprofessional thing to ask. Even if your motives arent jealous and competitive, it puts everyone in an awkward position. If you really need to find out, there are probably other ways.2. Can I borrow some money?Okay, so you forgot your wallet in your car or in your other purse. Every once in a very little while its okay to ask someone to spot you, provided you pay them back the next day at the latest. But if youre often misplacing your wallet, dont be surpri sed if you never get invited out for lunches or happy hours anymore.3. HonestlyThis little word can do a surprising amount of damage. If you feel the need to say it, people might wonder why. Are you bedrngnis always speaking honestly?4. Did you hear about?Just dont gossip. It will only reflect badly on you in the long run. Especially if its a negative comment about a coworker. Keep your mouth shut and stay above the fray.5. Those pants look great on youCompliments are always nice, right? Just keep them neutral, and not based on someones appearance or physique. You never want to be accused of sexual harassment. Compliment someones earrings or briefcase instead.6. You people alwaysAny complaint that lumps people togetherbreastfeeding moms, religious people, political partiesis best never said out loud in the workplace. These kinds of comments can also get you in trouble for harassment.7. When are you due?If you havent explicitly been told by a woman that she is pregnant, dont mention itno matter how obvious you think it is. When she decides to share with you about her pregnancy, then (and only then) you can comment. This will save you from awkward moments when you make assumptions that dont turn out to be true.8. Im sorry to bother you.Why? If youre really sorry, you wont do whatever it is youre going to do. Chances are, you have nothing to be sorry about. Try Pardon me do you have a sec? instead.9. Im outta hereIf youre looking for another job, resist the temptation to ask your coworkers if they have any leads. At best, theyll start writing you off as all but gone. And at worst, theyll spill it to your boss.10. Look at this rash.Even if you think you have a fascinating medical problem, nobody at work really wants to be involved. It will probably just gross people out. Feel free to share if you have a headache, but not a boil or wart.11. I thinkDont preface everything with I think, particularly if you arent trying to express being unsure. If you know what youre talking about, go ahead and say it directly.12. Wow, I didnt think youd get thatWhether its a big project or promotion, youll win nothing expressing surprise that a coworker got chosen over you. The only acceptable answer here is Congratulations. Keep your shock to yourself.13. When Im in insert fancy vacation spotIf youre lucky enough to be taking trips to fancy places, try not to brag. While Im away is just fine for work purposes.14. Am I invited?Everyone is heading out to lunch and youre still at your desk. Chances are, you werent invited. Dont make things awkward. Give them a chance to ask you along, but if they dont, then dont make a scene.15. Hook upEven if youre just innocently asking someone if they want to grab coffee over the weekend or after work, dont use the words hook up. Get together will do just fine and spares you the weird sexual overtones.16. They wont miss theseYou pocket some goodies from the snack room to take home to your roommates. All well and good unless y ou get caughta fire-able offense. Never mind the fact that you shouldnt steal from work talking about it will only increase your chances of being caught.17. My boyfriend blah blah blahConstantly indulging personal details is not going to win you many work pals. Its okay to talk about this with your actual pals, but keep your mouth shut when unsure of the company. You dont want to be the TMI coworker voted mostly likely to overshare.18. She took all the credit for my ideaEven if its true, youll look like a sore loser if you say it out loud. Keep it to yourself, or address the credit-stealer individually in a more appropriate circumstance.19. Can I borrow your personal toiletry?No coworker is close enough to share deodorant. Just dont ask. If you need some, go buy it in your lunch break.20. Im suing.Dont make empty threats. If you have a legitimate grievance, talk to your lawyer about it, not your coworkers. Dont compromise your case by blabbing off.21. Your kid doesnt seemJust say no to ever making critical comments about your coworkers children. If you dont have something nice to say about them, keep your mouth shutor lose the popularity contest before youve even begun.22. Maybe you should join a gymUnless youve been asked directly for fitness or diet advice, dont broach this subject with anyone. Even if you think a bit of exercise could help them. They will almost always be hurt.23. When are you retiring anyway?Answer NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Plus, its very unwise to make assumptions about a coworkers age.

Unconscious Bias Why We Need to Address It Now

Unconscious Bias Why We Need to Address It Now In 2012, Ellen Pao filed a gender discrimination suit against the venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers. In zu sich lawsuit, she alleged that the firm had terminated her abruptly in retaliation for an affair with a junior partner, as well as other behaviors for which she had been criticized and male colleagues had been praised. The suit shed light on already prevalent pervasive biases and gender discrimination throughout Silicon Valley, where men greatly outnumber women. In fact, just 11 percent of executive positions at Silicon Valley companies are held by women according to The Observer.Unconscious biases negatively impact diversity across nearly every industry, and can result in discrimination against certain races, ethnic groups, religions, sexual orientations, ages, and other minorities.What is unconscious bias?The two major types of biases are conscious and unconscious bias. While both types result in stereotypes abo ut and prejudices against a certain group or groups of people, conscious bias is, as it sounds, a belief that is explicit, meaning the individual is aware of her bias, while an unconscious bias is implicit, meaning the individuals belief is outside of her conscious awareness.Unconscious biases may beand often arein conflict with an individuals values and beliefs. Behavior that results from unconscious bias generally doesnt stem from a place of ill intent. Its something thats been bred in usyes, most, if not all of usover years of repeated exposure to certain phrases, social norms, media depictions, and other influences.Unfortunately, because we may be unaware of our stereotypes and prejudices, they can affect our actions and decisions in and out of the workplace. Unconscious biases can come into play in numerous business scenarios hiring decisions, promotions, meetings (in terms of to whom youre listening and with whom youre agreeing), and many other situations.What are the types of unconscious bias?There are many types of unconscious biases, which makes the issue all the more complex and difficult to overcome.Conformity bias leads an individual to replace her own opinion in favor of that of the larger group.Confirmation bias is the inclination to look for and focus on characteristics that confirm an individuals preconceptions.Affinity bias is based on the notion that we want to surround ourselves with people like us.Halo effect occurs when we focus on a particular positive fact about a person to the point at which we ignore other, potentially negative characteristics about her.Horns or hoof effect is the opposite of the halo effect We let one perceived negative attribute of a person cloud our judgement about the rest of her characteristics.How can we address unconscious bias in the workplace?Unconscious bias can affect everyone. From hiring practices to retention efforts toAs of late, some employers are attempting to tackle bias in the workplace head on. One method is unconscious bias training. While this training remains popular, theres some question as to its efficacy, because the practice seems to have little effect on increasing diversity in workplaces. In fact, the practice can even be harmful, since evidence demonstrating that people rely on stereotypes can perpetuate and normalize the very stereotypes organizations are trying to combat.However, if done well, unconscious bias training can have a positive effect on workplace culture. According to Joelle Emerson of Paradigm, striking a balance between avoiding being overly defensive about biasesexplaining that these behaviors dont occur because were bad peopleand communicating the importance of managing our biases is one key practice in training that can lead to a more inclusive workplace. In the Harvard Business Review, she also writes that structuring trainings around specific workplace behaviors, rather than more global research, and pairing theory with strategies for managing bi ases yielded stronger results at Paradigm.Another tool, the Implicit Association Test, helps reveal peoples implicit biases by measuring associations between concepts in their minds. The idea is that recognizing our own perceptions will better enable us to address them. Critics have voiced concerns about the test, arguing that the IAT isnt very reliable and doesnt present a strong enough link between unconscious bias and behavior. The test needs more research, but could raise awareness about the need for recognizing and addressing our behaviors.What next?Its clear that in order to address implicit biases and promote a culture of diversity an inclusion, employers need to prioritize identifying how these biases and behaviors are impacting their workplaces and help their employees understand and recognize how they influence their decision-making processes. Awareness is the first step to creating and embracing a new mindset.