Have you struggled with how to say things professionally when you want to speak your mind at work? Check out these sentence frames and tips to help you navigate work in your truth.
As you know, being an adult requires you to navigate the workspace with prowess and wit to maintain positive working relationships while holding boundaries. These sentence frames and tips will give you a framework to build upon when you need to figure out how to say things professionally.
With my sister’s help, a talented, and tenured Human Resources professional, we are able to deliver 17 recommendations to help you handle some of the most awkward and unwanted work scenarios.
This post is all about how to say things professionally when you really want to speak your mind.
How to WORD THINGS PROFESSIONALLY
Our work environments just like any environment can put us in situations that are difficult to find the words for. Has a coworker ever asked you to do their work? Has a supervisor ever given you an unreasonable amount of work? I think we’ve all been there. While you want to maintain positive working relationships, advocating for yourself is a non-negotiable.
In general, staying calm, staying open, and using leading questions have helped me to navigate the most unwanted and awkward situations at work. Staying calm helps you to make judgment calls based on information and not emotion. Staying open allows you to approach any situation with a willingness to learn and gives your colleagues the opportunity to make meaning. Leveraging leading questions to advocate for yourself makes your advocacy collaborative and supports partnership. While the goal is never to intentionally trap a colleague or supervisor off guard, it is important to find creative and subtle ways to express your boundaries, needs, and preferences.
In many situations, I have chosen not to be subtle in my approach to navigating professional spaces. Being direct and firm has often made me an outcast. I am ok with that because I chose that road. I have also learned that subtlety and openness are qualities that help me maintain strong work relationships. It is important that every professional arms themselves with the tools to learn: how to say things professionally to your boss, how to professionally say this is not my job, how to professionally say you are busy, and a myriad of other expressions you desire to make in the workplace.
Check out these sentence frames to observe the way I use openness, creativity, and subtlety to discover how to say things professionally. Remember to use your discretion and wisdom to incorporate these tips as you see fit. While I have an impressive resume, I am not your career advisor and you should consult a professional career advisor about your unique situation.
| How to say | Professionally |
|---|---|
| I am unavailable to do that. When a co-worker asks you to make a commitment you can’t keep. | {regret} + {answer} + {reason} Ex: Unfortunately, due to bandwidth, I won’t be able to, I am working on the Herldson case for the next few weeks. |
| I already said this. When you have communicated a procedure multiple times. | {openness} + {solution} Ex: I can review this with you, perhaps you should record notes to reference for future use. |
| This deadline is unreasonable. When your supervisor gives you a time frame that is too short. | {reason} + {regret} + {leading question} Ex: With my current priorities, this deadline is out of reach. What should I deprioritize to focus on this assignment? |
| I can’t stay late for this. When your supervisor unexpectedly asks you to work over. | {openness} + {boundary} + {solution} Ex: I’m happy to review this report. However, my day ends at 4:00 pm, I’ll be sure to review it tomorrow. |
| This isn’t my job. When a coworker asks you to do work outside the scope of your responsibility. | {reason} + {referral} Ex: Daily attendance doesn’t fall within my role or area of expertise. However, I believe Karen may be the next best person to ask. |
| I’m not able to help with this. When a coworker asks to help with a task you don’t know how to do and you don’t have time to support. | {decline} + {reason} + {referral} Ex: Unfortunately, I’m at capacity. Currently, I’m working on a couple of high-priority tasks. Try Dionte, he’s good with this. |
| That suggestion won’t work. When a coworker makes a suggestion that seems unhelpful. | {reason} + {leading question} Ex: I’m having trouble understanding how this will work. How does this solution support {name problem}? |
| I don’t like the way you are talking to me. When anyone in a professional setting belittles, berates, or takes an unprofessional tone. | {observation} + {positive redirection} + {boundary} Ex: It sounds like frustration is rising. I’m happy to revisit this conversation when it can be discussed with a more level head. |
| We are wasting time in this meeting. When the team is staying off-focus in the meeting. | {connection statement} + {gentle redirection} + {leading question} Ex: The Harris project has been a doozy. Let’s dig in here, so we can get back to finishing that up. Shana, can you share the stats from last month’s viewership? |
| I am not adding on to my workload. When you are asked to unreasonably increase your scope of work without proper compensation or support. | {reason} + {regret} + {leading question} Ex: I’m managing 4 projects right now. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to take that on and still meet the needs of my current workload. How should I reprioritize to support this project? |
| This conversation is off-topic and distracting from my work. When your coworker is talking about matters that aren’t appropriate for the moment. | {reschedule} + {reason} Ex: When are you free to speak more about this? I have a pressing matter that I have to dive back into. |
| I’m not done with the project yet, please stop reaching out. When a team member keeps reaching out for irrelevant status updates. | {status} + {solution} Ex: I’m still making progress on the assignment. I’ll send you an email when it’s complete. |
| I can’t do the job of 20 people. When your supervisor requests you expand the scope of your work without adequate support. | {reason} + {leading question} Ex: The scope of what I’ve been given requires more hands to sustain. What support should I expect? |
| I’ve emailed several times and you still haven’t answered me. When your colleague has not responded to your email. | {problem} + {leading question} Ex: I haven’t received a response regarding this. Is there anyone else I can reach out to get clarity ? |
| I can’t keep doing your work for you. When your coworker is passing off their responsibility to you. | {openness} + {boundry} Ex: While I am happy to support you when you need help, I will not be able to take the lead moving forward. |
| I don’t feel supported with this project. When you are not receiving the support necessary to complete your work successfully. | {scope} + {reason} + {need} + {leading question} Ex: My understanding is that I am developing SOP for the new division of the product marketing department. In order to align with the current operating procedure, I need feedback on each of the protocols I recorded. When can I expect to receive that? |
| Your feedback wasn’t helpful. When someone shares feedback that is seemingly disconnected from your work. | {leading question} Ex: Could you share how your feedback will help x, improve? |
The post was all about how to say things professionally when you need to speak your mind and stand in your truth.
