6 Unprofessional Things People Do at Work Unintentionally
Darshak Rana
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You’re at work, trying to focus on your tasks, but something is just not clicking.
Maybe you’re distracted by the person next to you chewing with their mouth open. Or the guy across your cubicle who won’t stop talking on the phone loudly.
It could be many things, but one thing is for sure: unprofessional behavior in the workplace is a major issue.?And it’s not always intentional.
Sometimes, people are just unaware of what they do.?And it makes them look bad in front of their boss or co-workers.
We’ve all been there.?We all are guilty of?faux pas.
It reminds me of the day when my boss gave me strange looks. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I knew something was up.
A few days later, my boss called me for a quick meeting.?And that’s when I learned that I had been calling clients from my phone instead of the office phone.
I had no idea that it was an inappropriate thing to do. I thought using my cell phone was convenient and productive.?But my boss saw it as unprofessional, which cost us a major client.
Since that day, I’ve been much more aware of the things I did at work that could be considered unprofessional.
It can be tough to know what is and isn’t professional behavior.?After all, different offices have different rules.?What’s considered polite or rude can vary from one person to the next.
But?some things are totally unacceptable for a workplace to function ethically.
From my experience, I share the knowledge of what?constitutes?unprofessional behavior in the workplace.
#1. Playing the Sneak Peek Game With Your Phone
We all are guilty of this practice. You’re at work, minding your own business when your phone starts buzzing. It’s your best friend, calling to chat about their latest drama.
You think to yourself,?“It’s just a quick call. I’ll be able to get back to work in no time.”
But then the call lasts much longer than you anticipated, and you find yourself still on the phone when your boss walks by.
Or maybe you’re in a meeting, and you can’t resist the urge to check your phone for new text messages, emails, etc.
You think to yourself, “I’ll just take a quick peek. No one will even notice.”
But then your boss sees you looking at your phone and gives you a stern look.
Either way, it’s not a good situation.
When you’re at work, try to resist the urge to take personal calls or check your text messages.?If you need to, set your phone to silent and put it away in a drawer.?You won’t be tempted to use it during work hours.
Batching my emails worked best.?Every 90 minutes, I picked up the phone to check/reply to the urgent notifications.?It took no more than 5 minutes.?This way I restored my productivity and prevented playing the sneak peek game with my phone every now and then.
#2. The Misunderstood Email Feature
In today’s world,?email is a necessary evil.
I know we all have to use it, but that doesn’t mean we have to LIKE it.
And with the rise of the “Reply All” culture, some people have developed some pretty obnoxious email habits.
If you’re not careful, you could be one of them.
Here are some email habits that are sure to annoy your co-workers:
And the golden one — FAKE EMERGENCY!
It has become quite a norm to use “Urgent” on every email subject when it’s not.
So,?ensure your tone is appropriate and that you’re not overly aggressive or passive-aggressive.?Try to?keep your emails short and to the point.?No one wants to read a novel when they’re checking their email.
Before you hit “Send” on your next email, take a step back and ask yourself if it’s necessary.
If it’s not, don’t send it.
P.S: If you’re unsure whether or not you should reply to all, err on the side of caution and don’t do it.
#3. The Golden Desk Rules You Forget
Desk manners are meant to be broken.
While there’s nothing wrong with a quick snack, there are some things that you should never eat at your desk.
I used to work with a woman who was constantly eating at her desk.
And she wasn’t doing it quietly either.?She would make loud chewing noises, and sometimes her food would smell bad.
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I tried to be understanding at first, but it quickly became clear that she had no intention of stopping.
It was really disruptive, making it hard to concentrate on my work.
First of all, you should avoid anything that smells bad.?If you wouldn’t want to smell it, chances are your co-workers don’t want to smell it either.
Secondly, avoid anything that makes a lot of noise.?Eating chips or crunchy foods can be very distracting to those around you.
And finally,?avoid anything messy.?If you’re eating something that requires a fork and knife, it’s probably best to eat it in the break room.
If you must eat at your desk,?avoid anything that will bother those around you.
From my personal experience, avoid these foods at all costs:
#4.?The “I Didn’t Do It” Mistake Is Purely Unprofessional
To?err?is human.?But not to admit it isn’t.
I once had a co-worker who constantly made mistakes in Excel. Every time she would use a shared file, she would change all the data. Much worse…she would blame someone else.
Eventually, her mistakes caught up with her, and she was let go.
If you make a mistake at work, own up to it.?Don’t blame anyone.
Take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes.
Your boss will respect you more if you’re honest and upfront about your mistakes.
#5. The “I Have a Quick Question” Every 5 Minutes
This is a big one, and I saw it all the time.
People came up to me every 5 minutes with a “quick question.”
But more often than not, the question wasn’t quick.?And it was usually something that could have been easily figured out on their own.
I understand that people need help from time to time.?But if you’re constantly coming to someone with questions, it becomes a problem.?A nuisance.
It’s important to be considerate of your co-workers’ time. If you have a question, try to figure it out first.
Do a quick Google search or look through the company’s internal documentation.
If you can’t find the answer, then ask your co-worker. But limit it to one or two questions.
And if they’re really busy, offer to come back later.
The bottom line is, don’t be a burden.
#6. Unknowingly Underdressed is Undoubtedly Unprofessional
What you wear to work says a lot about you as a professional.?If you’re not dressed appropriately, it can send the wrong message to your boss and co-workers.
I’ve seen people come to work in shorts and flip-flops. I’ve also seen people dress too formally for the office.
I used to dress very casually for work, thinking it would make me look more approachable.
But I quickly learned that it had the opposite effect.
It’s important to find a happy medium.
Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
If you’re not sure what’s appropriate to wear, look at what your boss and co-workers are wearing. If they’re in suits, it’s probably not a good idea to show up in jeans and a t-shirt.
P.S: If you’re ever in doubt, err on dressing more formally. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.
Final Thoughts
We’ve all done it — let our guard down for a minute and then paid the price.
Unfortunately, in the age of social media and 24/7 connectedness, there’s no hiding from your mistakes — they can live on forever in screenshots and embarrassing blog posts.
Even if you think your boss is cool with something, it never hurts to play it safe and avoid any possible faux pas.
Let me know if you have any other unprofessional things to share. I am all ears!