You know that feeling when you’ve worked at one place for a while? That feeling of being committed, chill, and comfortable?
You know you’re not going anywhere anytime soon, and hopefully, neither is your job.
Well, regardless of how long you’ve been working at one place, it’s important to still keep things professional, especially if you’ve got your eye on that upcoming promotion or big cash money bonus.
We’re all prone to picking up a few bad habits, but be sure to check yourself so you don’t wreck yourself by ensuring you haven’t settled into any of these unprofessional habits on the regular.
(PSST! These tips are more weighted to working in an office environment. Of course what’s considered “unprofessional” will vary from industry to industry, and even person to person! So, don’t think of this as a be all end all list – but a quick guide if you’re working in the corporate world 🙂 Also – check out the video below for the 5 bad work habits you have ditch!
1. Showing up late
Making it to your 9am meeting everyday at 9:05? Sure, it’s only 5 minutes and probably not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but believe it or not, people notice.
If you’re running late once in a blue moon – don’t worry. It happens to everyone at some point or another! Just don’t be “that person” that everyone knows will always show up late.
Make an effort to make it to your meetings on time, and to the office – even if that means leaving your house just a few minutes earlier.Â
2. Complaining
If you’ve got a really big workload, and things are not going quite how you think they should be in the office, chances are you’ve got a lot on your mind. And trust us, we feel you!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work there are plenty of ways to deal with it, but complaining to your co-workers shouldn’t be one of them. If you’re struggling with your workload, let your manager know and voice your concerns directly. What you don’t want happening is a “he said, she said” situation, that eventually gets to your boss by way of broken telephone.
Still need a vent sesh? That’s what your BFF and half priced bottles of wine are for. 🙂Â
3. Being a non-stop interrupter
So every now and then, we’ve all had to interject to ask a question or clarify a point. That’s not a bad thing. But avoid being that person who meddles their way into a sentence 24/7 – before the person speaking can even finish their thought. (We’ve all met one of these before!)
You want to be a team player and give everyone the opportunity to share their thoughts. Plus, we don’t like it being done to us, so be conscious not to do it to others on the regular as well.Â
4. Gossiping
Sure, it’s crazy news that Bryan in Billing got let go, and that Jennifer from Accounting has moved back in with her ex.
…But really, who cares?
Spreading negativity at work never leads to any good, so avoid it by all means and leave the conversation the moment you feel it going there.
5. Over-promising and under-delivering
You gotta walk the talk, baby. If you’re going to claim that you’ll have the perfect business case built by EOD Thursday and you only send that document through the following Monday – then girl, we’ve got a problem.
You don’t want to commit to quality work in a specific time period and not deliver on it. It shows poor reliability, low ability to execute, and if you keep doing it, people will start to doubt your capability.Â
Better option? Give yourself some buffer room. For example: Commit to getting it done by Thursday (Actually knowing you should be done by Tuesday) and send it over early. Nothing like impressing the big boss with an early handover!
6. Putting off the small stuff
Sure – priorities are super important when you’ve got a lot on the go, but it’s important to set aside a bit of time each day (maybe 30 minutes in the morning, or 30 minutes EOD) to check your emails and respond to those that merit acknowledgement or a response. It might seem like a “small thing”, but those small things can add up quickly.Â
7. Getting Hammered at Your Office Party
Work hard, play harder. It’s always fun to unwind with your co-workers and your team, especially when you’re celebrating the launch of a new program or the success of a project you’ve worked so hard on.
But, proceed with caution. You don’t want to be the person that’s always getting wasted at your office social parties. Have a of couple drinks, and be there for a good time – but the moment you feel like you’re approaching the edge, it’s time to get out of there!
Puking, oversharing, stumbling — things you don’t want to be doing in front of your boss!
Just remember: if you can stay alive 9-5, Friday is always at most, only 5 days away. 🙂
