Stop Saying These Two Words
“Like”
“You Know'“
You know this by now, especially with filler word #1. Yet, they’re still being thrown around in the office irrespective of rank/age. These words can make you sound unprofessional and can be distracting to those trying to listen to you.
Dissecting this, I realized that one of the reasons why even the most senior execs continue using these words is because of direct team influence. Spending hours upon hours with the same people, you start to pick up on the words they use. I realized this most evidently when I joined a new team and observed that the most common filler words the team collectively used were “you know” and “that’s right.” Before I knew it, I was “you know”-ing it and saying “that’s right” inside and outside the office!
You can’t fix it until diagnose it. It can be hard to notice when you say it yourself, so ask a friend if they are aware of your filler words. Once you know what your filler words are, learn to be comfortable with silence. It can help to visualize your sentences with a period/full stop so you aren’t tempted to have any unnecessary add-ons!
So, like, good luck! ;)
