Navigating the business world is never easy, but it is especially difficult if you have bad work habits that obscure your skills and make your manager wonder if you are really suited for your job. If you have any of the following bad habits, take time to adjust your professional behavior in the coming year.
1. Scheduling Unnecessary Meetings
Most employees are bogged down with work and do not appreciate being forced to attend meetings that have no purpose. Calling pointless meetings is one of the worst work habits to develop, so think long and hard before you put a meeting on your department calendar. If there is another way to share information, such as sending a detailed email, try that before you ask employees to spend an hour or more in a conference room while they should be tackling piles of work.
2. Apologizing Too Often
If you do something wrong, it is fine to apologize for your mistake, but do not start every sentence with an insincere apology. Apologizing too often makes it look like you lack confidence, which is not what you want your boss to think. If this is one of your bad work habits, practice using other phrases until you are comfortable making a request without tacking on an apology.
3. Working Too Hard
Your boss expects you to maintain a high level of productivity, but you do not have to work so hard that you never take a lunch break or have time to get to know your colleagues. Burying yourself in work also has the unpleasant side effect of hurting your relationships with other people in the office. Colleagues may think you are aloof, or they may not want to pitch in and help you because you have not made an effort to get to know them. Adjust your work habits so you are productive without isolating yourself from other people.
4. Hogging the Conversation
Hogging the conversation is one of those work habits that can hurt your performance evaluation and make colleagues think twice about asking you for help. When you have a conversation, make an effort to listen more than you speak. After you share an idea, ask colleagues what they think.
5. Complaining
If you have a problem in the workplace, it is up to you to come up with potential solutions. Your colleagues do not want to hear you complain about your workload if you do not have any ideas for alleviating the problem. Complaining too often also has the unfortunate side effect of making people think it is difficult to work with you.
If you need to work on your professional behavior, start by assessing your work habits and determining if you need to make any changes. Taking the time to learn good habits can help you develop stronger relationships with colleagues and build a successful career.
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