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According to Kuba Jewgieniew, “I can’t” is one of the most dangerous phrases one could use in one’s professional career. Bosses hire candidates on the belief that they are bright problem-solvers capable of tackling any project thrown at them. “I can’t,” even when you feel totally overwhelmed, may not send the signals you think it does. Here, we discuss why this phrase is so detrimental to your professional life and what you can do to avoid it.

What the Boss Hears

When you say “I can’t,” you acknowledge that you don’t feel confident about the prospects of your company or your project. It sends the signal to your boss that you’re clueless, or that you’ve given up. Either isn’t very appealing. It might also shift blame, as in “I can’t work with this person,” which implies that one or both of you is acting unprofessionally.

At Realty ONE Group, employees are expected to have passion and determination. That means working the problem over in your mind a bit before you respond. If you feel “I can’t” coming out, try instead to ask for more time to re-evaluate the situation. Especially if facts have changed.

Re-Focus

“I can’t” is a gut reaction to fear at a base level. Imagine you are given an overwhelming task with a looming deadline, your natural instinct is to think there is no possible way that task will be completed on time. In these situations, avoid “I can’t” by re-prioritizing your tasks. Make some calls and send some emails to find out what can be shifted around that will allow you time to work. That way, “I can’t” becomes “I can” and everyone wins.

Anyone who has worked in construction, who has worked as a mechanic, or who has worked at a job that required them to use tools as part of their work understands the truth of the saying: “the right tool for the right job.”

Many professionals, especially mechanics, have found it beneficial to purchase a pit box where they can keep all of the unique tools they need for their job. There are a wide array of pit boxes for sale either in retail stores or in online stores like EliteToolboxes.com for example.

Nothing can be more frustrating than attempting to do a job using a tool that is not adequately designed to accomplish the task. Not having the right tool wastes time and it wastes a lot of money. The quality of the tools that a person uses is just as important as having the right tool. Having the right tool, but having it made from an inferior material can also be extremely frustrating. There is a huge difference between a hammer that a person would purchase at a dollar store and a ergonomically correct fifty dollar hammer that is purchased at a specialty store.

Of course, a person doing minor repairs in their home or hanging up a picture on their wall may not need the expensive hammer. For them, the cheaper hammer is the right tool for the small job they are doing. However, a carpenter who spends their entire life hammering will need to have the more expensive tool.

At times, people avoid purchasing the right tool for the job because they are worried about the expense. However, if a person repeatedly needs to use a specific tool, and especially if they use of that tool is associated with their employment, it is better to invest in purchasing a good tool that is going to allow an individual to get the job done quickly and to get it done correctly.

One of the problems that comes from not having the right tool for the right job is that a person runs the risk of breaking their tool. For example, a carpenter may need to use a chisel to shape wood. However, it is possible that they could attain the same effect using a hammer and a flat head screwdriver. The problem is that the flat head screwdriver is not designed to withstand the impact that a chisel is designed to withstand.

Purchasing the right tool for the job can be expensive. However, in the long run, it will always make the job easier, quicker to perform, and provide higher quality results.