Habits at Work to Avoid

What are the behaviours we should avoid at work? was a question that three different people asked me in the course of two weeks: a young professional, an intern, and a management student. Of the three, two work in the sector and have firsthand experience with the corporate requirements, while the student is preparing to enter the field. I realised later that there would be many people asking the same question, so I put on my thinking cap and went back over the past 20+ years that I have worked in the field to see what mistakes I had made and what I had learnt to avoid in the workplace.

Nevertheless, I have also made a lot of mistakes and have learnt from them.

List of the top 9 undesirable habits or behaviours that one should abstain from in the workplace if they wish to advance in their career.

Take caution with these negative behaviours and improve your work performance.

1.?????? Being late to work

One of the most immature bad habits of professional life is being late to work and saying goodbye earlier. It damages not just your reputation but also your productivity, causing you to put off chores, skip meetings, wake up anxiously in the morning, and so on.

Respect other people's time and be on time. It will increase your accountability and manageability.

2.?????? Fabricate Information

Don't tell lies. For their personal gain, the majority of colleagues lie heedlessly "to take off or defend themselves," which is acceptable in some situations but not in others.

Because betraying the confidence of your supervisor or fellow employees paints you as a "liar or dishonest person," which damages your long-term professional relationships.

3.?????? A negative outlook

It weakens your motivation, casts you in a negative light, and undermines your self-assurance that anything positive will occur. It not only has an impact on your personal and professional lives, but it also depresses you mentally and emotionally.

You need to exercise extreme patience and calmness in such a crucial circumstance. Remain kind with yourself. In both your personal and professional life, learn to solve problems rather than to worry. Although it's simple to say, that's how things will work out.

4.?????? Avoid combining your personal and work lives.

Give your all at work; when you're at home, concentrate on your family and forget about the work. Don't mix up your personal and work lives.

Avoid bringing your personal or household issues to work or vice versa.

It not only impairs your productivity at work but also increases your levels of annoyance, frustration, tension, and anxiety. Establish and maintain a line of demarcation.

5.?????? Delaying

It could jeopardise your employment if you are the type who constantly puts off tasks and never completes them by the deadline. One of the largest time wasters is procrastination. It delays duties and never completes the goal, which may not harm you personally but costs your business.

Keep in mind that you work for "someone else," not "yourself," and that they have the right to terminate you at any time if you don't perform.

It's one of the facets I'm delving into more thoroughly, and it will be the main topic of my upcoming WIP book.

6.?????? Ineffective time management

One of the most crucial abilities that you must acquire and become proficient in is time management. It is not sufficient to just finish the assignment; what counts most is completing the "high priority" tasks on time. (Learn more about it in my book - Buy I Wish Someone Told Me This Before My First Job Book Online at Low Prices in India | I Wish Someone Told Me This Before My First Job Reviews & Ratings - Amazon.in)

Ineffective time management lowers productivity, which can lead to stress, procrastination, wasted time, and unfinished tasks.

7.?????? Poor Communication

One of the most important and fundamental abilities you will need to acquire during your career is communication. Ineffective communication can result in misunderstandings and poor idea, concept, opinion, and view expression.

In addition to verbal communication, I also mean nonverbal communication skills that are critical to teamwork, such as answering calls, emails, messages, and WhatsApp group conversations.

Additionally, your confidence can be seen in the way you sit, how you carry yourself, how you make eye contact with seniors, how you sit, and how confidently you grin during meetings. Nobody evaluates you based on the knowledge you possess; rather, it is important to consider how you convey it.

8.?????? Insufficient domain expertise

Your work may suffer if you don't keep learning new things or expanding your expertise in your profession. Regardless of your position in the company, whether it manager, senior, junior, or novice. It's critical to never stop learning and developing your skills.

Remain mindful that there is never enough. You must always be learning, and if you stop learning, you will eventually become obsolete.

9.?????? Take responsibility for your errors

Don't let your errors make you feel foolish or defensive. Recognize when you're making the same mistakes over and over again. Everyone makes mistakes; even your boss is fallible. It's simple.

Examine, take notes, then put it into practice.

At workplace, owning up to your mistakes demonstrates your humility and compassion. One more thing, please: Avoid being drowsy. During meetings and conversations, keep your body moving and stay focused. Pay close attention and speak up with confidence. Don't miss any important information by keeping your senses alert.

There are many more, but I've made an effort to highlight the ones that I believe are crucial to break. I'll be glad to hear about any other suggestions from the readers.

#workplacehabits #continouslearning #betterprofessional