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Stop overusing "I'm sorry!"
When you overuse the phrase "I'm sorry" or use it unnecessarily, it gets diluted and loses its sincerity. Plus, it's pretty annoying when someone prefaces everything with, "I'm sorry, but…"
"Some people just use 'I'm sorry' as a filler phrase, like 'so,' or 'um,' or they may use it because they think it makes them seem more polite," explains Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage." "Others say 'I'm sorry' to convey a sense of deference to their superiors - and many use a well-placed 'I'm sorry' as a preemptive strike to avoid taking responsibility for their actions ('I'm really sorry but there's just no way I can get this report done by Monday')," Kerr explains.
Whatever the reason, the biggest danger of severely overusing the phrase, he says, "is that it can make you look too passive or indecisive - and might eventually create the sense that you lack confidence."
You should apologize, of course, when you have inadvertently hurt someone's feelings on the job, or made mistakes that affect others (your company, clients, boss, or colleagues), "but don't apologize for things that are clearly out of your control, unless you are in ultimately in charge of the situation, such as being in charge of a department where there is a massive error," suggests Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job."
"In addition, when you do apologize, don't have expectations of the other person. Don't expect them, for instance, to say, 'no problem at all,' or, 'no worries, it's fine!' Instead, do it with the intention of getting your point across," she says.
Here are 13 specific times you shouldn't say "I'm sorry" at work: