Personal Habits

I've discussed "the problem" with my boss and he just can't seem to shake it.

When he's making a presentation or even just SPEAKING to someone on the phone --- he ALWAYS says "at the end of the day...." ---- and it's something he just can't/won't get away from.  I pointed it out one time mainly because -- well -- he used it three times within 5 minutes!!! 

What should I do?  He MUST learn to stop saying this so much!!!

Cattle prod?
Electro-shock therapy?
Book/smack upside the head?
B*tchslap him when he least expects it?

Good luck! 

Speaking habits are hard to break, even when you really want to break them.  I should know ... I have a little 'un, and I use the f-word more than is appropriate.  I'm doing my best, but darn if it isn't a hard habit to break.

Good luck! 

Speaking habits are hard to break, even when you really want to break them.  I should know ... I have a little 'un, and I use the f-word more than is appropriate.  I'm doing my best, but darn if it isn't a hard habit to break.

Thanks!
(so what I'm hearing is use the cattle-prod -- yeah?) 

LOL, possibly.  How about some duct tape!   

It's tough to break people of bad habits!!!  I'm trying to remember how I stopped saying "Like" all the time!  Like, I know, Like that is so cool.  Seriously I did that.  I remember my mother said that during College interviews I would have to control it.  I think I practised for days (This is LIKE 15 years ago) After that I just stopped.  Hmmmm, maybe you can point out that it does not look good for business? 

Put a charity box on his desk or wherever.  Whenever he uses the expression he has to forfeit 1p to the box!  My colleague Molly used to work in an IT department where the expression "Cool!" was more than over-used, so they had a charity box (it was called the Cool Box, and was actually a cool box) to which people forfeited cash.

Put a charity box on his desk or wherever.  Whenever he uses the expression he has to forfeit 1p to the box!  My colleague Molly used to work in an IT department where the expression "Cool!" was more than over-used, so they had a charity box (it was called the Cool Box, and was actually a cool box) to which people forfeited cash.

I was told at my new job that if I were to work on the 2nd floor, there is a box there where every time anyone says something sarcastic, they have to put in 10p.
I'd go broke!  Thank goodness I work on the 5th Floor!

We used to have a "swear box" where I used to work.  It also was an IT department, and the atmosphere could turn quite blue on occasions - a number of charities received handsome donations from our swear box!  My good friend Geoff was so foul-mouthed of habit, he used to put a tenner in the box "in advance" at the beginning of each month!

What should I do?  He MUST learn to stop saying this so much!!!

Why do you feel he 'MUST' stop saying it?  It's a perfectly acceptable phrase.  Okay, so he over-uses it, but that's not your problem..... 

Why do you feel he 'MUST' stop saying it?  It's a perfectly acceptable phrase.  Okay, so he over-uses it, but that's not your problem..... 

I can't believe I'm bothering answering you --- but....
he's got to stop it because he sounds like a complete and total A$$ when he says it too often.  Sure - it's an acceptable phrase -- but when it's repeated so often - it makes him sound STUPID -- and when you're speaking to room of new clients -- it's NOT a good way to try and impress them -- understand now Broxi?

Hmmmm...that was a bit of a hostile response to a comment that didn't seem that hostile in intent. I actually agree with Broxi. Everyone has their quirky phrases and they seem to very regional. "At the end of the day" is *very* popular around here and it drives me a bit batty at times too but it's accepted by everyone else. Just like York folk seem to love "J'knowwhatimean" after EVERY sentence.  London has "innit". And then there's "yeah?" after everything. The list goes on.

Your boss seemed to manage getting the position of 'boss' all by himself so he must be doing something right. Maybe you should just roll with it and lighten up and have a laugh about it, j'knowwhatimean? 

It's not your company to run (unless I'm wrong) so perhaps you shouldn't take it so personally that he's making a total a&& of himself....in your opinion.

While I agree that perhaps the constant use of the phrase "at the end of the day" isn't such a terrible thing, I'm sure that driveupcoffee wouldn't be talking about "breaking" her boss of the habit if he hadn't agreed that he used it too much.

So maybe we can all calm down here and agree that we don't know all the ins and outs of the situation, and we can let this lie.  There's no reason to continue this discussion really, is there?  Driveup has the suggestions of those here who had a suggestion to make, and I think she can take it from here without any further discussion on whether or not she should be attempting to change his speaking habits.

I can't believe I'm bothering answering you --- but....
he's got to stop it because he sounds like a complete and total A$$ when he says it too often.  Sure - it's an acceptable phrase -- but when it's repeated so often - it makes him sound STUPID -- and when you're speaking to room of new clients -- it's NOT a good way to try and impress them -- understand now Broxi?

Oh... i think i just about understand it now, DUC.
Could do with a little less of your condescending attitude, though.

Could do with a little less of your condescending attitude, though.

And who's one to talk?

And who's one to talk?

Not quite getting why you felt the need to step in here and make what appears to be a snide remark.   Broxi was well within her rights to respond to quite a hostile remark. 
I'd just like to make a general statement that if there are bad feelings from somewhere  else on the net, we would appreciate that you keep them there.  UKY is a friendly place and we'd like it to stay that way.  Keep the personal messages to pm's.