You earnestly ask a colleague or employee who lacks self-awareness a question and he or she utters the words that destroy effective communication: It’s not my problem. Think of the power that one phrase has and how easily it completely eradicates any semblance of caring or courtesy. In one fell swoop, the person who says it demonstrates a lack of self-awareness and gives up on being helpful in any way or communicating effectively. These types of interactions happen all the time in our workplaces and can lead to all kinds of unwanted results including reduced morale, ineffective leadership, and lower productivity.
The reason, “It’s not my problem,” has such negative repercussions is that it stops all interaction and does so in a jarring, often disrespectful, manner. There are many variations on this phrase but they all make communication more difficult rather than easier. The challenge in the workplace is to find ways of saying yes instead of no as well as taking responsibility for communicating well rather than putting up walls. Here are ten positive alternatives to saying, “It’s not my problem.”
1. Lets work on this together to find an answer.
2. I’ll see what I can do and check back with you.
3. What can I do to be helpful?
4. Let’s look for resources.
5. Who might have the skills to help us with this.
6. What part can I play to make the situation easier?
7. This is my concern too.
8. I hear you and understand what you’re saying.
9. I can help brainstorm ideas.
10. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do.
Think about all the words we utter in the workplace that create unnecessary communication roadblocks. These types of interactions don’t focus on the positive and, consequently, don’t lead to great results. Thankfully, we can shift that momentum by stepping outside our boxes and committing to communicate more effectively.
What will you do to develop self-awareness and promote positive communication in your workplace?
Cheers,
Guy
