5 Career-Crushing Things Employees Say
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5 Career-Crushing Things Employees Say
Many employees have made a comment that cost them a pay increase, promotion or even their job. Managers need to help such workers recover from their misstep. -
Death Blow
83% of the employees surveyed said they've heard a colleague say something that had a catastrophic impact on their career. -
True Confession
69% admitted that they have made a career-damaging comment at some point in their career. -
Damage Assessment, Part I
31% of the respondents said they made a comment that cost them a pay increase, promotion or even their job. -
Damage Assessment, Part II
27% said they made a comment that undercut or destroyed a working relationship, and 11% said something that ruined their reputation. -
Destructive Criticism
23% of the respondents said the top type of career-damaging comments involves giving unsolicited feedback, or "constructive criticism," to colleagues. -
Gossip Karma
21% said the most common way workers slip into career-damaging conversations is by gossiping about someone or something "in confidence," only to have the comments made public. -
Taboo Topics
20% of the respondents said the most risky exchange is one that dives into topics such as race, sex, politics or religion—especially when others may misunderstand or distort what was said. -
Word Rage
20% said the most common blunder among colleagues occurs when someone loses his or her temper and uses profanity to make a point. -
The Ill-Fated 'Reply All'
10% of respondents said the most likely way to hurt your career via personal interactions is to use technology to share something harmful—such as through those ubiquitous "reply all" emails.
The majority of employees queried said they've heard a colleague say something that had a catastrophic impact on their career, according to a recent survey from VitalSmarts. In fact, many of the professionals said they have made a comment that cost them a pay increase, promotion or even their job. As part of the research, VitalSmarts has come up with a list of what we'll describe as "five career-crushing ways to express yourself," and we've adapted that survey-supported list here. The conversations and exchanges that require some degree of caution include: offering feedback to a co-worker; discussing race, politics, religion or other sensitive topics; and even written communications conducted via email. "While there are occasions when people's words paint a clear picture of their incompetence or unacceptable moral judgment, these instances are the exception to the rule," said Joseph Grenny, co-founder of VitalSmarts and co-author of the book Crucial Conversations. "Often, people speak up about issues they see as important to the business, only to be punished for their honesty. … Instead of punishing employees' candor, leaders need to build the kind of culture where anyone can safely speak up to anyone else, regardless of power or position. And in those times when they may step out of line, there should be a plan that allows them to recover and get back on track." Approximately 780 employees took part in the research.