中国人不要在北美职场说的10句话
Words matter.在职场，说话艺术的重要性不言而喻。以下10句话，在北美的职场绝对要注意避免出现。
1. “It’s not my job”
“那不是我的工作”或“这不是我的分内之事”。
If you asked someone for help, and the person replied with one of the above phrases, how would you feel? As importantly, what would it say about him or her? Regardless of how inconvenient or inappropriate a request may be, it is likely important to the other person or they would not have asked. Therefore, as a contributing member of the team, a top priority is to care about the success of others (or at least act as though you do). An unconcerned, detached and self-serving attitude quickly limits career advancement.
如果你请某人帮忙，却得到上面这样的回答，你会怎么想？重要的是，说出这种话的人又能怎样呢？不管请求多么不方便或不恰当，如果不那么重要，别人也就不必开口求助了。所以，作为团队成员，首先应将他人的成功放第一位（或至少表示一下自己的心意）。冷漠离群、以自我为中心的态度很快便会断送职业发展。
This doesn’t mean you have to say yes; it does mean you need to be articulate and thoughtful when saying no. For example, if your boss issues an unreasonable request, rather than saying, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me. I don’t get paid enough for this,’ instead say, ‘I’ll be glad to help. Given my current tasks of A, B, and C, which one of these shall I place on hold while I work on this new assignment?’ This clearly communicates teamwork and helpfulness, while reminding your boss of your current work load and the need to set realistic expectations.
这并不是要你有求必应；只是告诉你三思之后再拒绝。例如，如果老板提出不合理的要求，不要说‘开什么玩笑，这根本就不是我的分内之事。’，而应回答‘没问题啊，但我手上还有A、B、C等任务，哪个任务可以暂放一放，以便完成这项新任务呢？’这样说不仅展现了团队精神和乐于助人，还提醒了老板你手上还有活儿，要求不可太过分。
2. “It’s not fair”
这不公平。
She got a raise, you didn’t. He was recognized, you weren’t. Some people have food to eat while others starves. Injustices happen on the job and in the world every day. Whether it’s a troubling issue at work or a serious problem for the planet, the point in avoiding this phrase is to be proactive about the issues versus complaining, or worse, passively whining. Instead, document the facts, build a case, and present an intelligent argument to the person or group who can help you.
她加薪了，你却没有；他受器重了，而你没有。有人温饱就有人挨饿，世界上不公平随处可见，职场也一样。不论是工作碰上麻烦还是地球遇到灾难，要避免不公平，就得积极解决问题，而不是抱怨或者消极发牢骚。相反，你应该实事求是地、向能够提供帮助的人或组织有理有据地来表达意见。
3. “I think that …”
“我认为……”
Which of these two statements sounds more authoritative?: “I think our company might be a good partner for you.” Or, “I believe…” “I know…” or “I am confident that our company will be a good partner for you.”
下面哪句话听上去更有力？：“我认为我们公司可能成为贵方的良好伙伴。”或“我相信/我知道/我确信我们公司将会成为贵方的良好伙伴。”
There is a slight difference in the wording, however the conviction communicated to your customer is profound. You may have noticed, the first phrase contains two weak words, ‘think’ and ‘might.’ They risk making you sound unsure or insecure about the message. Conversely, the second sentence is assertive and certain. To convey a command of content and passion for your subject, substitute the word ‘think’ with ‘believe’ and replace ‘might’ with ‘will.’
只是用词略有变动，但传达给客户的信心却很不一样。你们应该注意到，第一句话中的‘认为’和‘可能’语气较弱，使信息听上去不那么确凿肯定。相反，第二句话则确信肯定多了。为表达你讲话内容的坚定和激情，应将‘认为’和‘可能’换成‘相信’和‘将要’。
4. “I will try to …”
“我试试看。”
Imagine it’s April 15th and you ask a friend to mail your tax returns before 5pm on his way to the post office. If he replies, ‘Okay, I’ll try,’ you’ll likely feel the need to mail them yourself. Why? Because that phrase implies the possibility of failure.
假设4月15号那天，你请朋友在下午5点之前顺路去邮局替你寄申报单，朋友回答说‘好啊，我试试看吧。’，你是不是觉得不放心，还是亲自去寄的好呢？为什么会这样？因为“试试看”表示事情也有可能做不好。
In your speech, especially with senior leaders, replace the word ‘try’ with the word and intention of ‘will.’ This seemingly small change speaks volumes.
“在你讲话的时候，尤其是面对上级领导，请把‘试试看’换成‘会去做’。改变虽小，意义却很重大。
5. “Maybe it’s stupid, but …”
或许这听起来有点蠢，但是……
By saying that it’s stupid, you just minimized your own words and ideas. You are thus sowing doubt. Others may think “If it’s stupid, maybe he’s stupid?”
你说这可能有点蠢，别人可能真的会想，是不是真的蠢？
Remove this preface. State your ideas clearly and confidently. “I have a suggestion… ” or “Have you ever thought about it this way?” are ways that you can preface a suggestion that are far more confident.
不要这么说话了。坚定、自信地表达你的观点：“我有一个建议”或者“你觉得是不是可以这样?” 这听起来要自信的多
6. “I don’t have time to talk right now”
“我现在没有时间说话”或“我都忙死了”
Even if these statements are true, no one wants to feel less important than something or someone else. To foster positive relations and convey empathy, say instead: I’d be happy to discuss this with you after my morning meetings. May I stop by your office around 1pm?”
就算你说的都是事实，也没人愿意觉得自己还不如其他事或其他人重要。要想维持良好关系并赢得同感，你应该说：“我早上开完会后就有空跟你讨论这个问题了，下午1点左右我去你办公室怎么样？”
7. “To be honest with you” or “To tell you the truth”
“坦白跟您讲”
It may seem silly, but prefacing statements this way can make the person you’re talking to think “Were you lying to me in the past?” or “Have you been keeping things from me?” Cut out these phrases to remove any doubt about your honesty and transparency.
这样讲的话，对方就会想，难道过去你跟我说的都不是实话么？
坦诚来讲这句话，还是不要说的好，这样影响你的诚信。
8. “Always” or “Never”
一直，从不，最好避免说这样绝对的话，没有人知道以后会发生什么。Never say never.
9. “WOW! Fan-tas-tic!”: all day long
整体说太棒了！
If everything is great, nothing is. Right? It’s one thing to be positive, but if you over do it, you’ll only end up annoying some of your colleagues.
如果所有事情都是好事，那就没有坏事了，不是么？积极乐观是对的，但是如果做的太过火，结果就是你的一些同事可能会被你整天的fantastic惹恼。
10. “No problem”
“没问题。”
When someone thanks you, the courteous and polite reply is, “You’re welcome.”
当有人向你表示感谢时，礼貌的回答是You’re welcome“不客气”。
The meaning implies that it was a pleasure for you to help the person, and that you receive their appreciation. Though the casual laid-back phrase, ‘no problem’ may intend to communicate this, it falls short. It actually negates the person’s appreciation and implies the situation could have been a problem under other circumstances. In business and social situations, if you want to be perceived as well-mannered and considerate, respond to thank you’ s with, “You’re welcome.”
不客气表示你很乐意提供帮助，并且接受对方的感谢。虽然随意一点说‘没问题’也有同样的功能，但意思却远远不足，不仅忽略了对方的感激之情，而且还暗指这个忙在别的情况下可能是个‘问题’。在职场及社会上，如果你想表现得体贴有教养，还是用“不客气”来回答别人的感谢吧。
These are common phrases that might be difficult to eliminate completely from your everyday conversations—but the trick is to gain awareness of the language you’re using. As is often the case with bad habits, we are unconscious of the fact we’re saying career-limiting words and phrases.
这些常见的话语可能一时难以立即完全从你的日常讲话中改正——但是，你可以加强防范，随时留意自己所讲的话。坏习惯总是不自觉的，我们有时并不能意识到在讲一些祸害职业的话语。