Why You Need to Remove "Just" From Your Vocabulary

5 MINUTE READ

I'm just sending a reminder..

I just want you to know...

I just have a quick announcement...

Do any of these sound familiar? I bet if you did a quick word search on your sent emails you would see the word "just" pop up more often then not. Why do we undermine ourselves or appear that we are almost apologizing before making a request? This habit seems to be especially prevalent if you are woman. According to Victoria Simon, PhD, and Holly Pedersen, PhD "Women have a tendency to use ‘weak’ language that serves to water down their message". 

This doesn't mean you have to come across as aggressive or overly assertive in your next meeting however you can be more thoughtful in your language to show up confidently and articulate without sounding weak. For suggestions on alternative language read the full article below.

Awareness is key. In the wise words of Maya Angelou, "When you know better, do better."

So now you know.

Forward by Alisha Adams, Co-Founder of Talent Lab