🎯 Common Phrases That Quietly Undermine Your Credibility

A QUICK TIP FOR CLEAR THINKING

If you feel rushed, say: “Let me think about that for a moment.”

Why it works: It gives you space without weakening your position.

Use it: When you’re asked to respond too quickly.

🔍 DEEP DIVE

🎯Common Phrases That Quietly Undermine Your Credibility

Credibility isn’t usually lost in a single moment.

More often, it’s chipped away through small bits of language; phrases people use out of habit, politeness, or a desire to sound reasonable.

They don’t sound wrong.

But over time, they change how seriously your contribution is taken.

This isn’t about confidence or presence.

It’s about what your words quietly signal in the room.

Why these phrases change how you’re heard

In senior environments, uncertainty is assumed.

Everyone knows decisions are made with incomplete information.

Everyone knows ideas are provisional.

So, when you go out of your way to announce uncertainty, soften your position, or apologise for speaking, you’re not adding nuance, you’re changing how your input is perceived.

1. Softening before you’ve even started

Phrases like:

• “I might be wrong, but…”

• “Just a thought…”

These are usually meant to sound open-minded.

What they often do instead is downgrade what follows.

You’ve told the room — before anyone else has reacted — that this point doesn’t need much attention.

What to say instead

If the idea matters, state it plainly without a lead-in phrase. For example:

• “I think this approach carries more risk than we’re accounting for.”

Then stop.

Let others challenge it if they want to.

2. Over-qualifying to sound reasonable

Phrases like:

• “I don’t have all the data…”

• “There are probably other ways to look at this…”

• “This is only based on what I’ve seen so far…”

None of these are wrong.

They’re just usually unnecessary.

At senior levels, everyone already understands the limits of the information.

Saying it out loud doesn’t make you sound careful, it makes you sound less certain than you need to be.

Clarity doesn’t require a disclaimer.

What to say instead

Share the view you have, without narrating its limitations. For example:

• “Based on what we know, this option will delay delivery.”

If more detail is needed, you can add it later.

Let questions reveal any gaps that matter.

3. Apologising for taking up space

Phrases like:

• “Sorry, just to add…”

• “This might be a silly question…”

• “Apologies if I’m missing something…”

These apologies don’t improve how your point is received.

They subtly suggest you’re interrupting, derailing, or slowing things down, even when you’re doing exactly what’s expected of you.

If you have a question or a point, it doesn’t need permission.

What to say instead

Ask the question directly. For example:

• “Can we clarify the assumption behind that timeline?”

• “I want to challenge that part of the plan.”

Make the point without an apology.

4. Explaining instead of owning

Phrases like:

• “What I’m trying to say is…”

• “Maybe I didn’t explain that very well…”

• “Let me rephrase, because I think I lost you…”

Sometimes clarification is needed.

But these phrases are often used when people sense they’re losing authority over their own message.

If you need to restate your point, do it cleanly.

Don’t apologise for clarity, and don’t narrate your uncertainty while doing it.

What to say instead

Restate the point in fewer words. For example:

• “The risk I’m pointing to is timing.”

Then stop.

Final thoughts

This isn’t about memorising better phrases.

It’s about a few simple principles:

• State your point before explaining it

• Remove qualifiers that don’t add meaning

• Don’t apologise for contributing

• Let silence carry some of the weight

Most credibility leaks come from talking too much, not too little.

Try it

After your next meeting, ask yourself:

• Where did I soften before anyone asked me to?

• Which phrases did I use out of habit rather than necessity?

• What could I have said more cleanly, with fewer words?

You don’t need to catch everything.

Just notice one or two moments.