These 4 Phrases Are Sure Signs Your Team Isn't at Peak Productivity

The power of words can be summed up in an ancient
proverb that states, "The mouth speaks from the
abundance of the heart."
What you speak tends to be what you actually believe
about yourself, your business or your success. Those
beliefs will inevitably drive your action or inaction. It's
important to identify the counterproductive, self-limiting
speech within the workplace that you, or those around
you, might be prone to.
Related: 4 Ways You Are Your Own Worst Enemy
"That's how we've always done it."
There's comfort and familiarity with the status quo but
this particular phrase squelches innovation and risk
taking. It's rooted in a legacy mindset that believes past
practices are the reason for current success. While that
may be true for now, every entrepreneur and business
owner has a vision for a successful future that hinges
on intelligent risks and adaptability.
"No one asked me."
This particular phrase implies a lack of situational
awareness, organizational insight and a high degree of
isolated thinking. It's important to recognize that the
best leaders and employees have an enterprise-wide
mind set which is critically important to the collective
success of the business.
"That's not my responsibility or job."
We've all heard this one from someone at sometime in
our careers. It's a productivity killer because it's
anchored in silo thinking that squashes collaboration,
cross-functional problem solving and comradery.
While everybody obviously needs to do their own job,
part of that job description now requires each of us to
also help others do their respective jobs when we can as
dictated by the unyielding competitive demands of
the global marketplace.
Related: The SEAL Teams Don't Accept These 10
Phrases, and Neither Should You
"I don't know how to do it."
A key component of Emotional Intelligence is self
awareness, so it's important for a leader or individual
contributor to know their strengthens and limits. The
organization benefits when an individual can identify a
skill gap sooner rather than later. That's a good thing
from a productivity standpoint because it helps avoid
expensive waste and rework later on.
However, this phrase becomes a hindrance to
productivity when the individual is not interested or
engaged with their own personal development. Such
a lack of intellectual curiosity and an unwillingness to
being a life-long learner is a telltale sign that this
individual might not be a long term fit.
This sampling of phrases is not exhaustive. It's only
intended as a trigger to make entrepreneurs, business
owners and leaders aware of some of the verbal
symptoms that can plague their own productivity or that
of the broader enterprise.
It's important to note that there's another ancient saying
that states, "The person who can control their tongue is
complete and can control the course of their life."
Perhaps you've never uttered the non-productive,
negative phrases above---that's great---but what about
those around you or who work for you?
As a leader or business owner you can take a first step
toward helping your employees and support staff
become more "complete" by helping them become more
aware of the power of their own words.
Related: You'll Never Hear Successful People Say
These 15 Phrases