Say Goodbye to these 10 Workplace Clichés: Words & Phrases to Avoid for a Stronger Personal Brand

Elevate your personal brand by replacing tired clichés with intentional language that communicates clarity, confidence, and credibility across every conversation, email, and everyday interaction.

Transform your personal brand by mastering your word choices—what you say and what you don’t. Subtle nuances elevate your credibility and communicate confidence with effortless finesse.

In the world of work, how you speak - whether in emails, meetings, or casual conversations - shapes your personal brand as much as what you do. Often, it’s not just the words you choose - but the clichés and fillers you leave behind—that define your credibility and confidence. Let’s explore ten common phrases and words to say goodbye to in the workplace, and how subtle shifts in language can elevate your presence across all your professional communication.

1. “But”

The power of “but” has a psychological and communication impact backed by social science and linguistics. 

“But” is a cognitive cue for contrast. It causes the person hearing it to instantly give more weight to what comes after it. For better or worse, we’re wired to dismiss what came before it. In cognitive psychology, this is described as a ‘negation effect’. It weakens positive statements and makes feedback feel harsher. Social psychology also shows that it makes the positive part sound less sincere. It can make conversations feel confrontational or defensive. It flicks a mental switch that cues the listener for a problem. 

Note, “however”, “having said that” are simply a fancier way of saying “but”.

Alternative: “And”. It encourages the brain to process both statements. 

2. “I’ll be honest”/“Honestly”/“I’ll be straight with you”

As Ryan Holiday highlights in The Daily Stoic, Roman Emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius said: 

“How rotten and fraudulent when people say they intend to ‘give it to you straight.’ What are you up to, dear friend? It shouldn’t need your announcement, but be readily seen, as if written on your forehead….” 

You don’t need to announce your honesty. It subtly implies you aren’t always honest. Like “but”, it also cues that you’re going to say something that might offend. 

Alternative: “In my opinion”, or simply speak clearly and confidently without a preface. 

3. “Not a problem”/“No worries”

In “Not a problem”, “problem” becomes part of the problem. It can unintentionally imply that there was the potential for a problem. As this is likely in response to a request someone has made of you, it may make it feel like it could have been a burden. 

While "not a problem”, using a casual tone, is seemingly great for casual conversation, this can also sound dismissive. 

Like much of this list, I used to be guilty of using this all the time. Then I started to pay more attention to how my husband has always been a master of the alternatives. I noticed the difference in how hearing it made me feel. 

Alternative: “My pleasure”, “You’re welcome”, “You’re most welcome”. It implies it was a joy to assist.  

4. “Sorry to bother you”

Do you announce your arrival to an open-door office with “Sorry to bother you”? Do you start your phone calls in the same way? Over-apologising undermines your authority and confidence. It can also diminish the sincerity of your “sorry” when the situation actually warrants it.  

Instead, skip the sorry. Don’t bury the lead and get to your point, or start a conversation centred on the person, genuinely interested in them. This shows sincere concern for them and their current circumstances. It gives you real context before you make your request. 

Alternative: “How are you?” Or, “How’s your day been?”

5. “Sorry for the delay”

Was there actually a delay? Did the person you’re saying this to provide you with a deadline that you didn’t meet? Of course, emails or messages days or weeks past the implied deadline warrant an acknowledgement of your tardiness. Otherwise, was there really an issue with your response time? Don’t default to opening your emails with this phrase. It implies you missed a deadline even if you didn’t, impacting your credibility.

Alternative: “Thank you for your patience”, or simply get to the point. 

6. “I think”

“I think” weakens your point or opinion. It makes you sound unsure or uncertain of the conviction in your ideas. 

Alternative: “I recommend”.

7. “Just”

“Just” also dilutes your point or makes it seem less important. For example, are you “just checking in” or are you “checking in”?

“Just” is appropriate if you do mean “almost” or “nearly”; otherwise, this filler word creates unnecessary meekness for your personal brand.  

Alternative: Skip the “just” and get to the point. 

8. “Try”

I learned about the limitations of “try” in Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). It signals a lack of full commitment and uncertainty. It creates the mental space for failure and makes success feel optional rather than expected. For example, will you try to finish the report by Friday, or will you finish the report by Friday? Will you try to set up a time to meet next week, or will you?

Be clear and direct to increase your projected confidence, commitment and effectiveness.

Alternative: “I will”.

9. “Hopefully”

“Hopefully”, like “try”, can unintentionally diminish hope in the person hearing it. It implies you are uncertain about your plans or ability to execute on them within the agreed parameters or time frames. 

Alternative: Be clear about your plans, timeframes and commitment.

10. “I don’t know”

In some cases, you genuinely won’t know, and that’s okay. The problem is using the phrase in isolation, without a solutions-oriented mindset, especially in the workplace, where that is expected. 

Alternative: “I’m not sure. I can find out and get back to you by…” or, “I don’t recall off the top of my head right now. I’ll get back to you via email, by…”

Your words are more than just language - they’re an expression of your personal brand. By letting go of tired clichés and filler phrases, you create space for your clarity, conviction, and credibility to shine through.

Small shifts in how you speak can spark major changes in how you're perceived. When your communication is intentional, your presence becomes magnetic.