(My Two Cents is an annoying business term and is just one of the 212 Most Annoying Business Phrases Managers Effuse, Confuse, and Overuse detailed in the hilarious must-have guide for every workplace: The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room. Available right now on Amazon.)

My Two Cents

Whether included at the beginning of a thought or as a standalone sentence following an opinion, my two cents is usually worth substantially less than two cents.

Generally, it’s the naysayers in your workplace who will often overuse this one to add some unnecessary passive-aggressiveness to their message. For example, “If we proceed down that path, we’re sure to fail. Just my two cents.”

You don’t agree because you never agree – we get it. Adding my two cents to your ill-thought-out opinion now makes it clear what value we should place on it. Thank you.

Of course, it’s not just the pessimists who annoyingly overuse my two cents. The ineffective, impotent managers in the office will include it to amplify their lack of confidence in their own judgement.

For example, “Well, if you want my two cents, I think we should move forward with the plan.”

Because this sentence is delivered with all the self-assuredness of an eighth-grade boy asking a girl to the Spring Dance, we dismiss this opinion – as we do with all your opinions – and then we move on.

It’s just our two cents, but could you grow a pair?

Replacement phrases: My opinion (however, when it’s clearly an opinion, adding “my opinion” would be redundant and highlight either your weakness or innate negativity).

See also: Agree to Disagree

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The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room is available on Amazon