BE 359: Should You Call a Business Colleague a Piece of Work?
Business English from All Ears English
Deep Dive
What does it mean to call someone a 'piece of work' in a business context?
Calling someone a 'piece of work' is highly offensive and implies they are difficult, annoying, unreasonable, irresponsible, or even dishonest. It is a derogatory term that should never be used in professional settings.
What are some professional alternatives to calling a coworker a 'piece of work'?
Instead of using offensive terms like 'piece of work,' you can say, 'It can be challenging to work with them,' which is more respectful and professional while still conveying the difficulty of the situation.
Why is it important to avoid using terms like 'flake' or 'head case' in the workplace?
Terms like 'flake' (unreliable) or 'head case' (unreasonable or unstable) are unprofessional, disrespectful, and can damage workplace relationships. Using such language reflects poorly on the speaker and undermines professionalism.
What is a better way to describe someone who is unreliable without using offensive terms?
Instead of calling someone a 'flake,' you can say, 'They can be unreliable,' which is a more professional and respectful way to address the issue without resorting to derogatory language.
How can you reframe negative comments about a coworker in a professional manner?
Reframing involves shifting the focus to constructive feedback. For example, instead of saying, 'She's an oddball,' you can say, 'Her behavior is at times surprising,' which is more neutral and professional.
What is the significance of reframing negative comments in a workplace setting?
Reframing negative comments helps maintain professionalism, fosters better relationships, and avoids creating a toxic work environment. It also reflects positively on the speaker's maturity and leadership skills.
What should you do if a colleague uses unprofessional language about another coworker?
If a colleague uses unprofessional language, you can politely reframe their comments using more respectful terms. For example, if they say, 'She's a flake,' you can respond with, 'She can be unreliable at times,' to maintain professionalism.
Why is it crucial for managers and leaders to avoid using offensive language about coworkers?
Managers and leaders set the tone for workplace culture. Using offensive or unprofessional language can damage team morale, undermine trust, and reflect poorly on their leadership abilities and the organization as a whole.
- Using offensive language in the workplace can damage relationships.
- It's important to maintain professional relationships, even with difficult colleagues.
- Offensive language reflects poorly on the speaker and the organization.
Shownotes Transcript
This is the Business English Podcast, episode 359. Should you call a business colleague a piece of work?
Welcome to the Business English podcast from All Ears English. Get the English skills you need to achieve your dreams in global business. For a presentation, a meeting, or your office party, this is Real Business English with your favorite American hosts, Lindsay and Aubrey, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA.
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Hey, Aubrey, how's it going today? I am great. I have a funny question for you, Lindsay. Okay. Do you know anyone who is a piece of work? A piece of work? Oh my gosh. Well, yes.
Yeah, I know a few people. Yeah. Rather not talk about them. It's such a mean thing to call someone. If someone called me a piece of work, that would really hurt my feelings. Doesn't sound like it should be so bad, but we're going to explain why it is and why we need to avoid it. But this came out of a mistake that I made.
A funny mistake that I made in an episode, right, Aubrey? Exactly right. Lindsay and Michelle were talking about Seinfeld. And what Lindsay meant to say was to call Seinfeld the show a work of art. And instead, she said, Seinfeld is a piece of work. And I laughed out loud when I heard that in the episode. You corrected yourself. But work of art and piece of work, actually looking at them, they seem like they would mean something similar. They do not. Opposites almost.
almost right yes exactly so we're going to stay until the end guys make sure you stayed so we'll tell you which episode that was so that you can go and listen and laugh along with us right yes right yes you'll understand why it's so funny after you've listened to today's episode
Exactly. Today, we're going to teach you four things you should never call a coworker. Maybe nobody ever, but especially not a coworker. These are very unprofessional, can be very offensive and just unkind. And then we're also going to teach you four better alternatives. I really love these what not to do episodes, Aubrey. It's good. It's important that we know what not to do because we may hear certain phrases and just think, oh, I can throw that in there. No,
Exactly. No, no, they're just unkind. And especially at work, you have to consider these relationships, even if you really dislike someone, you really have trouble working with someone, you still have to work to keep that relationship. And if you're calling them one of these things, even behind their back,
It is just deteriorating the relationship. Yeah, exactly. I mean, if you're saying it to someone else in the office, or even if you're just saying it to a family member, it's also not good because it just puts a certain, I don't know, something out into the air. That's just not going to be good for that relationship that you have with that person at work.
work. Right. And it's only going to make the way you feel about it worse, harder to work with them. So you definitely want to avoid all of these names. I agree. Whether it's to coworkers, family, don't even think it. Don't even think it. Exactly. We don't need these phrases in the workplace, but first hit follow. We'll show you what not to say at work and what to say at work. All right. So hit the follow button. We publish three times a week right here on Business English. Okay.
Exactly. All right, let's dive into this first one. Piece of work. What does this mean, Lindsay, to call someone a piece of work? Well, I agree that it can be quite offensive. You wrote difficult, annoying. I think it can get a lot worse than that. I could think of even worse adjectives. Really unreasonable. Unreasonable, irresponsible. Maybe someone who's...
misogynistic, something really negative like that. Or even like a crook. It could be like a crook, right? Someone super dishonest. The most negative things you could think of, maybe someone would be like, wow, he's a real piece of work. Yeah, exactly. So...
we have a role play here or no well so we have the no and the yes so first what you should never say about a co-worker even if you think these things about someone maybe you do work with someone who is truly awful yeah still don't use piece of work to say like that guy is a real piece of work it's too extreme it's too offensive and mean yes what could we say instead lindsay all right so we could say instead uh it can be challenging to work with him now we're really we're you
using our skills of reframing, rephrasing here, very high level, but so important. - So important, right? If you really feel like you need to say, or maybe someone has asked, like maybe they're interviewing someone that you used to work with and you think they're a real piece of work.
You could say this, you know, it was very challenging to work with them. Yeah, for sure. All right. So that's the first one. We want to write it down and cross it off because we're not going to use it. And the second one is flake. That is F-L-A-K-E, right? Flake. So this has a different meaning.
Totally. Right. It means unreliable, right? So if someone's always late, they never turn their work in on time, they might be called a flake, but again, very offensive, mean, unprofessional. You would really want to avoid calling a coworker this. Yeah. It could also just mean someone just doesn't show up. So they don't turn their work in on time or they don't show up where they say they're going to be at a certain time. So don't say this, right? Cross this one off. She's such a flake.
No. Exactly. Right? And you might hear someone say this. You might hear it on TV podcasts like this is common in the English language, but it can hurt relationships to say something like this about a coworker. So instead you could say, she can be unreliable. Again,
Perfect. So much more buttoned up, so much more formal and respectful, even though you're still being honest. You know, there is a time and place for honesty. Yeah. Yes. We have to be honest. Right. But just there's certain ways to say it and not say it. Yeah.
Exactly. Right. A lot of it when it comes to being at work is just about staying professional. Like you might need to be honest. You're going to share that this person is unreliable. Maybe give more details about what exactly they have done that has shown them to be unreliable. But to go so far as to call someone as a flake, you're taking the low road, right? Stay on the high road, stay professional and don't use these adjectives.
Yeah, because the I mean, this is an important takeaway for later. But the what we say about other people reflects a lot on what people think about us, too.
Right, because we're also sort of being immature when we use this type of vocabulary. I would like if a coworker said this about me, I would kind of be like, oh, what are they saying about me? I feel like they're sort of not, they're just not very professional. Exactly. It just doesn't belong at the workplace. So let's get into the third one that we're going to cross off the list, which is head case.
uh not good right this means extremely unreasonable maybe someone would say crazy right these are things if you call someone a head case that means you don't think they're sane like or they're unreasonable to the point of almost insanity it's very extreme yeah maybe they fly off the handle easily or like they get upset really easily or maybe they're anxious so all of these could qualify as
you know, head case, but you might hear someone even use this just to exaggerate, right? They say he's a real head case and all they mean is, oh, he's stubborn. He's very unreasonable, but it is again, unprofessional, disrespectful. So avoid it. That's the no answer or the no option. And the yes option, the better option is I don't always agree with his decisions. And I kind of like that because we're putting ourselves front and center in that statement.
um and so it feels like I don't know it's just a changing what's the focus essentially I agree I like this too because if you're going to call someone unreasonable often that's sort of like up for debate yeah am I being reasonable like this could be debated so I think I like framing this in an eye statement you know I don't always agree with his decisions I like that exactly all right the fourth one is oddball oh gosh also not good
um to say about a co-worker I love that I'm like surprising you each time with all of these because yeah it's true you will hear these right they aren't super common because they're mean and disrespectful but we know what they all mean we've heard them all yes for sure for sure this one just means like strange very strange bizarre behavior yeah
The first thing that comes to mind is the office and the guy that was in the basement with the glasses. Do you remember that character in the basement with the glasses in the office? Oh, yes. I haven't seen that office in a while, but I know who you're talking about. Yes.
You just say, "She's an oddball." And that just means maybe their behavior is unpredictable, strange. But to call a coworker an oddball, I never would. That's just mean and unprofessional. No, you wouldn't. Oh, no. It's office space is what I'm talking about. Office space, the movie Office Space. Oh, the guy with the glasses. Yeah, Milton. He's so cute though. He's so cute. Stapler. He's upset about the stapler. And now I know exactly who you're talking about. The stapler.
I was like, I think Daryl was in the basement in like the storeroom, but the shipping. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Milton, Milton. So he's kind of an outcast. So someone that people think is different or strange, they don't quite understand them, but you never want to say oddball. So instead, her behavior is at times surprising.
Right? I like that. Yes. This is, I mean, it's accurate, right? Sometimes you do, like you said, Lindsay, you have to be honest sometimes, but there are ways to frame this that are professional, respectful, and kind when really you're getting the same message across. Exactly. 2025 is your year to make things happen when it comes to your career. But this can't be done without strong, confident English skills.
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Okay, Aubrey, so what's next here? Yeah, so first just this kind of message. You may hear a colleague use some of these unkind, less professional terms. You can definitely use today's better options. We're going to show you in the role play what this might look like when you can sort of mirror a better option to someone who is saying to you the disrespectful option. Right, because just because your colleague has chosen these phrases we don't recommend doesn't mean you have to and doesn't mean you should.
Right. Exactly. Right. And this might happen, especially if you disagree. You're not going to feel comfortable just sitting there listening to it without saying anything. So I like this role play for sort of giving you options for telling them either I disagree or I don't like the way you're saying that in a polite, respectful way.
Right. Or you could agree with the content, the vibe of, you know, never knowing what someone's going to do, but you don't agree with the word they're choosing. So you want to respond, right? Right. And you can reframe what they've said. So, all right, this is going to be a good one. I can tell. Yeah. So you and I are talking about a coworker here. I'll start us out. I'm going to be the disrespectful. It's going to be difficult for me to do this, but I can do it. I would not stay at work. Okay. Amanda is a piece of work. I never know what she's going to do.
It can be challenging to work with her, but on the flip side, she's extremely creative. She's such an oddball though. I find her behavior to be so erratic. Her behavior is at times surprising. Weren't you impressed by her work on the DuVernay deal though? That's true. She's an amazing designer, but she's also a flake. She was 20 minutes late to that meeting. It's true she can be unreliable. Hopefully she'll be on time next time.
I'm giving her a lot of slack. Right? I know. It's tricky. It is an interesting situation to be in. A lot of you have been there where you agree that someone is frustrating you. Maybe you're both going through the situation, but you don't want to be the office gossip, the one that someone comes to to say these mean things about. But you have to say something, right? You have to say something. I kind of like this role play for that. And this...
frankly, unfortunately, this does happen a lot in offices. I think we don't have a physical office, but you know, I've heard that it can happen in with her friends that I've known that have worked in larger office spaces happens a lot. So as long as you're not getting pulled into these conversations and dropping down to the same level,
this is the perfect example of how to reframe, right? Exactly. I love it. So I started by saying, Amanda's a piece of work. I never know what she's going to do, which I love that Lindsay immediately reframes with. It can be challenging to work with her. Yeah. Oh,
- And oh, I just thought this is especially important if you're a manager or a leader at the company. You definitely can't be mirroring what people are saying. Extra double, triple important to have this skill to reframe it in a positive, more professional way. - Because you couldn't even say like, "I know, right?"
Right. No, you can't. You just can't. You can't. For sure. All right. So it can be challenging to work with her, but on the flip side, she's creative, right? And then you said you came back with another zinger here. She's such an oddball though. Her behavior is so erratic. Yeah. And then I came in with the reframing. Her behavior is at times surprising. Weren't you impressed by her work on the DuVernay deal? Right.
And I kind of love this too, because whoever you work with, there's a reason they work there, right? There's they have everyone has strengths. Yes. Like they there may be frustrations, you might find yourself focusing on the negative. But when someone reframes and is able to point out like there's always some good.
It's so true. It makes me think about hearing friends talk about their workplace situations where you have a modern tech company and you have the developers and the designers and they do not think in the same way whatsoever. Right? We have process oriented thinking. Just very different. Yeah. Yeah. Very different way of seeing the world. And this could come up and we could start to misunderstand each other and these words could start to fly around. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So to finish up, then I said, that's true. She's an amazing designer. Then I came back again, though. I'm like, but she's also a flake. She was 20 minutes late to that meeting. Yeah. And then I said, it's true that she can be unreliable. And so I give you a little concession there. A little concession, but I'm still... But still unreliable is so much more professional and respectful than calling someone a flake, my goodness. Right. I love it. All right. This is important. Really important today, Aubrey. Where is that other episode that we could go to next?
Yeah. You guys want to check this one out if you missed it. It was 2324. This is indisputably the best way to talk about your opinions in English. That's the episode where Lindsay accidentally called Seinfeld a piece of work. And important to note that one is over on the All Ears English podcast. So what you want to do is go open your search bar right now, type in All Ears English. The show will come up. It's also yellow, just like business English. Hit that follow button. Yeah.
- Yeah, so good. - Yes, don't miss it. I love this. Guys, some words are just too offensive or cruel or unprofessional to use in the workplace. So I'd love that you're now aware of these. You could hear these on a podcast or TV and think, maybe I could use that at work. No, these are not safe for work words.
Yeah, and just because someone else is saying it doesn't mean it's okay either. Sometimes we get into a group mentality, there's safety in numbers, we're all huddling around. Okay, let's drop some zingers here. No, right? Because it reflects on you poorly. If you're a manager or a leader, it reflects on the entire organization poorly and your leadership skills.
It's just a bad direction to go in, right? Absolutely. I'm glad we were able to give you guys some better options, some ways you can respond if someone does say something like this to you. It might not be as extreme as these words. These are very extremely unprofessional, disrespectful, but it might even just be the tone or just a little too negative. And you might want to use today's vocabulary to reframe.
Love it. So good. Such an important topic. Go over and find the All Ears English podcast. Go laugh at that episode. I love it when we do make mistakes on this podcast. That's what we're all about, right? Connection, not perfection. And so you can go and feel better about making mistakes because we do it too. Absolutely. I love that. All right. Aubrey, I'll talk to you soon. Have a good one. You too. See you next time. Bye. Bye.
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