We often hear that we should be careful with our words but we don’t take it seriously until we finally experience the effects of negligent statements.
Words are powerful, that’s undeniable. As such, the familiar adage “the pen
is mightier than the sword” holds universal truth and is regarded as
timeless.
Be Careful With Your Words
We’ve been told by our parents to be careful with what we say because our words can hurt people, even with us not meaning it. At school, at work, and in
our day-to-day dealings with our acquaintances, we learned that we should
exercise caution when it comes to our statements.
Furthermore, in this age of the internet and social media, words can spread like wildfire that’s why we need to be even more prudent with what we say,
share, or post. As a blogger, it’s my responsibility to tell only the truth, avoid misleading statements, and make appropriate disclosures and disclaimers in my posts. I also don’t share posts unless it’s from a trusted or verified source.
I’ve observed that a lot of people take freedom of speech for granted
without knowing that it has great repercussions.
An innocent statement cost me so much
Why am I writing this post?
That’s because I’ve experienced being negatively affected by someone’s words first-hand and it wasn’t even intentional. However, the effect was lasting
because that seemingly innocent statement cost me my rating, which meant that
it’s a year’s worth of hard work and sleepless nights down the drain.
Here goes that story:
When I was still with another company working in Marketing Communications,
I used to handle an annual publication; it was a big project in terms of budget and the scale of tasks. It was my yearly responsibility until I finally
(and thankfully!) transferred to another department.
During the third year that I handled it, our purchasing team recommended a
different printer. Naturally, we were anxious because the previous supplier was already familiar when it came to the company’s brand guidelines. In short,
they are well-versed when it came to the institution’s brand colors, a carefully guarded element that it would be considered a mortal sin if anyone violated it.
People from Marketing would understand the fuss when it came to brand elements
because a single mistake could make a difference, especially to a keen eye.
Anyway, because of the change in the printer supplier, our designer
good-naturedly offered their printing supervision services. We declined
because, aside from the fact that we didn’t have any budget for it, we were
confident that we can always make adjustments to the colors before we gave it
a final go.
Anyway, as we had expected, when the proofs (aka sample printouts) of the publication arrived, the colors were too dark. Moreover, the photos of the
people looked like they were drunk because they were too red-skinned.
We made a note of all of those things and, after about two or three more proofs, we were able to finally make the correct adjustments. The printer informed us that the finished product will darken slightly because of the lamination. We said it was fine because we already took that into consideration with the color adjustments that we did.
The turning point
The publication was finally printed and delivered. However, to our dismay, the pages were still a tad darker than expected but that’s just our trained eyes being overly critical. To ordinary eyes though, it looked perfectly fine so we
proceeded to distribute it to our senior officers.
It was fine for a few days, we even received a few compliments here and there.
The shock of our lives came a few days later when my supervisor received a call from Mr. Big Boss (the head of the company).
He was initially impressed with
the layout until he asked the design agency’s opinion about it, who
matter-of-factly and honestly told him that the photos turned out to be too
dark. That wouldn’t have happened had we hired their printing supervision
services.
Naturally, Mr. Big Boss was incensed. He told my supervisor that the publication was ugly and that we should’ve gotten the agency’s offer for the
printing services.
But above anything else, I was worried because I knew my supervisor would always count my mistakes and never my accomplishments. Since this was my project, the blame will surely be on me.
I understood that the agency was trying to get new business but I prayed that it shouldn't be at the expense of another person, and worse because that person was me.
Judgment time
Fast forward to our rating season around a year later. We were reviewing the things that I wasn’t able to achieve and the mistakes that I committed. As I
had expected, my big publication was the highlight of my performance rating.
Since Mr. Big Boss was dissatisfied with the final product, that meant that I
would (and should) get a “needs improvement” rating. Plus, it was printed and delivered late, my supervisor pointed out.
I reasoned out that Mr. Big Boss’s disappointment was influenced or fuelled by a comment. If that didn’t happen, our project was fine. As to the delay in the
delivery of the project, it was Mr. Big Boss who signed it late even if he
knew that it was urgent, just like in the previous year.
In the end, all my reasons still fell on deaf ears. I got a rating that was close to a failing mark. I was ineligible for a raise and to receive profit
sharing.
You might argue that it was just a rating, a number, a grade. But it meant so
much to me because I was really expecting that sum of money because I will
give it to my mother for her chemotherapy treatment.
With the performance bonus and the profit-sharing, I could’ve already paid for two chemotherapy sessions. But I was robbed of that opportunity, all because
of a person who innocently answered a question and gave an opinion.
Key takeaways
While I thought I lost the chance to give money at home, I was able to secure a salary loan at three times my salary. Thank goodness, my previous company
was really kind to their employees (they still are!).
Going back to the topic, here are my crucial takeaways from this story:
- What we say may sound innocent or harmless to us but it can have a lasting impact on others.
- Words have the ability to spread beyond our intended recipients, so be mindful of what you say.
- Always be purposeful with your statements because they have the potential to change the world.
- Kind words can change or even save lives.
I do hope that you would also keep these lessons in mind whenever you speak or write because a single word can spell the difference between life and death.
Epilogue
We live in an imperfect world. We are free to say whatever it is that we want to say. However, it won’t hurt to exercise prudence with what we say. Words can make or break a person. They can change lives, they can start a war, or be
the catalyst of peace.
We must choose our words carefully when speaking to our children, our peers,
and even with the random people that we meet outside.
We must think twice about the things that we are publishing on social media,
even the information that we share. Again, the advantages are great and lasting when we are careful with our words.
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Thank you for sharing po. True po nasa democratic country tayo malaya tayo sahibin kung ano yung gusto natin sabihin pero dapat maingat pa din tayo sa mga salita binibitawan natin
ReplyDeleteI think it's something you learn as you get older. Your words will make a difference - positive or negative in other people's lives.
ReplyDeleteOne should always be careful with what they say, write or do. Our words are very, very powerful.
ReplyDeleteIt's so important to be cognizant of your words in both your personal and business life. What sounds one way to us can sound a different way to someone else.
ReplyDeleteWe deal with different kinds of people in the workplace. I cannot take it when we are in the situation wherein we cannot answer back in the middle of the discussion because that person is our boss. It is so frustrating. People should realize that they should be responsible for the words that are coming from their foul mouth.
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK many workplaces have conflict and yes I agree with you words are very important for sure!
ReplyDeleteYes, it is our accomplishments that should win out and he initially liked it until someone else said something. That sounds very frustrating. I'm sorry it happened to you.
ReplyDeleteI am always careful about what I put on social media and what I put in print. It is so easy to cause a problem with careless comments and these comments can take forever to straighten out (if ever!)
ReplyDeleteI can feel your thoughts, Ivan coz I've been to a corporate world for 10-years and have to suck it up my thoughts, coz of the fear for any unfavorable consequences. But in the last couple of years of my corporate work, I learned to stand on my ground and express my thoughts that I strongly believe will benefit the company. Somehow they agreed with me, but it cost me a lot personally.. I wasn't happy.
ReplyDeleteThen I quit. And I found my happiness.
Agree, how you choose the word and the way you said things is a huge different, all in all I think it's really subjective so it's not about which word you choose, it's about your perception and how to say different things to diffrerent audience. - Knycx Journeying
ReplyDeleteOh my! I am sorry to hear about how the comment affected you and your plans! Words break and make; many of us seem to forget this, repeatedly!
ReplyDeleteI can understand this and I'm glad that you are doing well now. Words are powerful. "Words can make or break a person." I can totally agree with this, that's why it's so important to watch what you are saying.
ReplyDeleteI always concerned about what i'm saying or typing even in social media, i think impression from people needed to be care
ReplyDeleteI think this is something people need to constantly be reminded of. Our words matter!
ReplyDeleteWords are very powerful and I agree, that we should always think first before we speak.
ReplyDeleteIt really is so important to think about what you're saying in life in general and in business. What seems simple or throw away to us can be very impactful to another person.
ReplyDeleteReally need to be careful with what we say -- they have the power to impact ourselves and others. Glad that you had a great learning experience with your situation!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how much power words have in almost every situation. You should definitely think before you speak.
ReplyDeleteThough I can agree that words are powerful, to me it sounds like you're blaming the agency still for an error you recognized as your own fault. Yes, it did cost you a promotion, but isn't it even more honorable to be honest and tell the boss the truth about the color correction? To be honest, if I was the manager, I would be more annoyed by the fact that you hid this from me and I had to hear it from an agency, rather than you telling me directly. That erodes my trust in you completely.
ReplyDeleteOh no, I wasn't blaming the agency at all. And yes, I was very honest with my boss. He knew that we had to go back several times to correct the color. In fact, he signed on the proof of the material before it was printed.
DeleteLet me just summarize my points for clarity:
1. We used a new supplier hence the slight color discrepancy.
2. By slight color discrepancy, I mean really slight. To the untrained eye, it's hard to spot the difference. The final printout was a shade darker -- yes, just a shade darker.
3. Our president actually liked it when he saw the output. In fact, he praised it for being beautiful and featuring a unique layout.
4. However, despite the praise from the president, the agency had to point out something that wasn't noticeable at all. That irked the president.
5. If you are Filipino, then you probably know the saying "pwedeng pwede naman palampasin na" because there was no glaring mistake at all, not even financial implication.
The damage that it has done to a person (me) is too much for such a small "mistake" if that can be considered a mistake at all.