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Things get awkward in the workplace. It happens to everyone! But how do you respond without adding to the awkwardness? Or worse...start apologizing for whatever happened. We say “I’m sorry” more times in a day than we realize...and stuff isn’t ALWAYS our fault. I'm totally guilty of this.
There are five different awkward scenarios and how to handle them:
- When you’re late for a meeting - Instead of apologizing, say, “thank you so much for your patience. I know your time is valuable, so let’s dive in.”
- When you need to ask a question - DON’T APOLOGIZE! Say, “here’s my question.”
- When you don’t like something - Just say you didn’t care for it! It’s not your fault. This is one I'm always apologizing for because I feel bad.
- Grabbing something or getting by someone - You should say: “Do you mind handing that to me?” or a simple: “Pardon me!”
- When you need to clarify something you said - “Let me clarify...”
Workplace slip-ups totally happen. But knowing how to handle the awkwardness makes all the difference!
Source: Huffington Post