What not to say/do at work

Building a strong professional network is tough if you don't open up to your colleagues; but doing it in the wrong way can have terrible effects on your career and any professional goals.

Sharing the right things in the right ways is imperative to your career progression. Sharing things which may appear like they are building relationships initially, can be detrimental in hindsight. Catching yourself before you cross the line is key, as once it has left your mouth, its very hard to undo.

I have shared the 6 things I feel you should avoid saying or doing at work.

Don't be a naysayer.

Nobody wants to hear you complaining about how  much you hate your job. Doing so will appear negative and show you are not a very good team player. This effects the team spirit and morale and leaders are more than likely going to spot it very quickly. Remember in today's market, there are always positive and enthusiastic people waiting to jump into your job. Don't give your manager any reason to look at what else is out there.

Don't put people down.

There will always be incompetent people in any workplace, and chances are that everyone knows who they are. If you can't help them improve, or have the power to move them on, it's almost certainly not a good idea to share how rubbish you think they are. What do you gain from doing this? Announcing your colleague's incompetence will come across as an insecure attempt to make yourself look better. This will definitely come back and bite you and really, you should just avoid it totally and focus on your own work.

Don't talk Salary/Bonus.

Sure, brag to your friends about how many sales you've made, but at work, this only breeds negativity. It's impossible to be totally fair when allocating salary's to new employees. Recruitment changes every day, market trends may dictate higher or lower salaries depending on the pool of skills available. Revealing what you earn to your colleagues, although more than likely innocent curiosity, gives them a direct comparison to your peers. As soon as everyone knows how much you make, everything you do at work is considered against your take home. You'll never be seen in the same light again.

That you want someone else's job.

Announcing your ambitions at work when they are in direct conflict with other people's interests comes across as selfish and indifferent to those you work with and the company as a whole. Great employees want the whole team to succeed, not just themselves. Regardless of your actual motives (some people really do just work for the money), announcing your selfish goals will not help you achieve them. I personally, am a huge advocate of team success. If you are a key player in a team succeeding, any leader worth their title will make sure this is known and progression will be supported.

Offensive jokes are funny, right?

Not directly related to "work" based actions, but this should go without saying. Offensive jokes make other people feel rubbish, and they make you look foolish. If there is anyone who would be offended by your joke, you are better off not telling it. You never know whom people know or what experiences they've had in life that can lead to your joke treading on subjects that they take very seriously.

Job hunting

Once you reveal that you're planning to leave, you suddenly become a waste of everyone's time. There's also the chance that your hunt will be unsuccessful, so it's best to wait until you've found a job before you tell anyone. Otherwise, you will end up sat on the side.

Any comments or other suggestions are always appreciated. Linkedin is a great place to share thoughts and help provoke good discussions.