1. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

In other words, you don't know and didn't do your homework. Welch fired one vice president who gave that answer several times during a presentation. To avoid that fate, before an important pitch to the boss, conduct a "war game" or "murder board" with colleagues -- and pick the most cynical, intelligent people you know. Ask them to sit through your presentation and then hit you with their best shots, asking the most off-the-wall, unfair questions they can think of. When you finally enter the bear's den, your ammunition should be data. Make sure you're loaded with it, so you can answer any question in mind-numbing detail. You might come across as brash, but Welch always admired people who didn't fold when challenged and "had a good story and the data to back it up."

2. Making fun of a corporate program.

Yes, there are lots of vapid initiatives trotted out by marketing or PR or HR people: "Year of the Customer," or "Zero Mistakes," or "Zero Inventory," or "Zero Drinking at Lunch." And sadly enough, bad CEOs often buy in and pay these goofy ideas half-hearted lip service. Feel free to make fun of this stupid stuff--as long as you're willing to leave the company the next day.

Once at GE, the chief financial officer poked gentle, martini-fueled fun at a Welch initiative, from the podium at a company dinner. Welch fired him shortly thereafter.

I ran with most of what Welch promulgated, because it made sense to me. As a communicator, my job was to take it to another level -- often to the point that Welch had to rein me in, calling me crazier than he was. This might sound like butt-kissing, but not to me. I believe in "signing on or signing out." If you don't believe in the corporate mission, either keep your mouth shut or leave.

3. Something you find funny.

Skip the jokes, especially at the beginning of a presentation. I saw a young fast-riser start to come unglued during a presentation, after beginning with some humorous references to his subject. Welch made a dismissive hand gesture and then delivered the ultimate rebuff--he started doing his mail, opening envelopes and writing replies while the painful presentation continued. Afterward, Welch told me the presenter wasn't just awful, "he was flippant."

If you're lucky enough to get on the CEO's calendar, get advice ahead of time about what he's really interested in. Open his eyes to something he'll want to tell others about. As Welch once said: "You know what some kid told me today at the company meeting? We may be going in the wrong direction. Can't get it outta my mind. Gotta talk to her tomorrow ? or maybe tonight."

4. "That can't be done."

No CEO wants to hear that something he deems important is impossible. One year Welch wanted to make major, last-minute changes to the "CEO letter" that ran in the annual report. Two million copies of the book were already being printed, and I told him it was too late to make changes. The resulting explosion blew me out of his office. After recovering, I picked up the phone and stopped the presses, and we got his changes made the next day. GE's stock went up, but my career flat-lined for a while.

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1. "I really need to talk to you, it's important." "One person's importance is another person's triviality," says Richard Laermer, CEO of RLM Public Relations.  In today's fast-paced workplace, managers don't have time to personally attend to every little need.  If you have to talk to your boss about something important, explain what it's regarding first.
   
   
2. "I don't need anyone to teach me." Be careful here. It's one thing to already know how to perform a job; it's another (irritating) thing to think you already know all there is to learn.
   
   
3. "I don't understand." On the other hand, while a little on-the-job training is standard, someone who continually needs instructions on how to perform a certain task can be, in a manager's eyes, more effort than he or she is worth.
   
   
4. "Could you repeat that?" A forgivable offense if it's a one-time occurrence, but continually asking your manager to repeat him or herself indicates you don't care about or respect what he or she has to say.  
   
   
5. "I just never got around to it." Sometimes "it's not so much that you said the wrong thing, but that you didn't follow through," says Nicholas Aretakis, a career coach whose former employee "Fred" constantly overcommitted, subsequently ruining his chance to be promoted. An employee who is unreliable will be remembered when it comes time for evaluations or promotions -- in a bad way.
   
   
6. "That's not in my job description." Unless the task your manager is asking you to perform has nothing to do with the actual workplace, you should keep this thought to yourself. "In today's workplace, there's nothing that can not get done," says Laermer, whose company policy emphasizes teamwork and flexibility.  Everyone needs to do his or her part to pitch in, which sometimes means performing work that may be a departure from your day-to-day duties. 
      
   
7. "Don't blame me -- it's not my fault." One thing that's sure to tick off your boss is trying to cover up a mistake by blaming someone else, Aretakis says. This behavior proves to your boss that you're not only unreliable, but deceptive as well.
   
   
8. "Can you tell so-and-so to shut off that annoying music?" It's not up to the boss to solve your personal problems.  If you can't resolve a problem with a co-worker on your own, you can ask your boss for advice, but don't expect him or her to respond to whining and complaining.
   
   
9. "Yeah, right. I have a family. I'm going home." True, the work day for most officially ends at five o'clock, but a little overtime work every once in a while is standard in many workplaces. Make sure you understand your company's policy on overtime before you speak up.
   
   
10. "Get yourself a slave." Laermer was rendered speechless when an intern once said this to him on her last day on the job. Even if you're leaving, be careful where you burn your bridges.  A former boss can be a good professional reference for future positions, so you may regret leaving on such bitter terms.

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"That's not my job."

If somebody comes to you with an issue, there's probably a reason. It might be your responsibility or they might just value your input. Either way, use the situation to prove you're a team player and a problem solver. Plus, it pays to earn some good office karma because you never know when you'll need help from other colleagues.

"Yeah, no problem." (If you don't mean it.)

If you take on a task with a smile but have no intention of actually completing it, you're going to earn a reputation as an unreliable person. If you know you can't or won't complete the project, be honest about it. Your colleagues are relying on you, so your decision not to follow through impacts their jobs, too.

"Don't tell anyone I said this, but ... "

If it's really a secret, keep it to yourself. Whether you know someone's about to get fired or what the boss' salary is, you're going to get credit for spreading the news. You're not exempt from being the subject of office chatter, either. Don't expect your gossip-loving co-worker to suddenly have tight lips when it comes to divulging your secrets.

"I haven't had a raise in four years."

"Most savvy supervisors don't think longevity merits a raise -- only high productivity does," Lampton states. Asking for a raise because of how long it's been since your last one will only tell your boss that you want more money, not that you deserve it. Instead, highlight the accomplishments you've made in the last four years, Lampton suggests. Prove the raise is merited.

"It's not my fault."

When your boss comes to you with a problem, the last thing you want to do is to deflect blame to someone else. Maybe it isn't your fault, but remember that you're not in a courtroom and nobody's really looking for the culprit right now. All that matters is making sure the problem is solved and doesn't happen again. You can deal with the real issue later, but you'll just make yourself look worse if you spend more time finger-pointing than problem solving.

"To be honest with you ... "

First, any time this phrase is used, you know something negative is going to follow. More important is the message it sends to others. "Does this colleague have to identify when he or she is being honest with you? When that phrase is not used, should you then doubt the integrity of the statement?" Lampton asks. Instead, without being rude, say what you need to say in a straightforward manner.

"Whom did you vote for?"

The old adage that you shouldn't discuss politics is as true today as ever before. While it's great that you're an active citizen performing your civic duty, save the politics for your personal blog. Even if the conversation doesn't result in an argument, you never know whom you're making uncomfortable or who will hold your views against you. In a sea of cubicles, there are more people listening to your conversation than you think.

"I got so trashed last night ... "

You're probably not the only person in the office to indulge in a drink (or a keg) now and then, but you're probably the only one bragging about it to your boss. Although your night of binge drinking didn't force you to call in sick this morning, it can create the image of an unreliable partier who forgot to leave the beer bong in the dorm room.

"I just didn't have enough time for that."

In case you didn't realize, everybody's pretty busy these days. When your boss asks you to do something, chances are it's not really an option. If your main concern is accomplishing the task on time, Lampton suggests you explain the situation. Mention how busy your schedule is but that you can accommodate the request if some other projects are moved around. You'll show that you take each assignment seriously and only want to turn in your best work.

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