Respectable and accepting workplace protocols are crucial to make it successfully to the place of work. Bad habits in the office space can have a serious adverse impact on overall productivity and influence relationships with colleagues. If you are working for the same company for so many years, it is probably natural to set a trap of being too comfortable and negative as you get too relaxed and laid-back. This can result in workplace unproductivity. We all have bad habits, but that does not make anyone a person bad at all. Good habits have the potential to push you forward and assist you in personal and professional success.
Bad work habits represent ethical, behavioral, and practical elements applied by employees that decrease job performance standards, efficiency, productivity, reliability. Bad habits in the workplace do not hurt only the company goals and other colleagues; they can create a feeling of sadness, apathy, rejection.
Bad Work Habits are:
- Procrastination
- Unsystematic and disorganized behavior
- Bad cooperation
- Negativity and criticism
- Bad communication skills
To reach the pinnacle of success, it is time to highlight your good habits and eliminate damaging habits simultaneously. Common workplace negative habits include procrastination, too much gossip, excessive criticism, and relaxing too much. Nevertheless, these negative factors can be considered, and employees can reflect on them if they are on the verge of losing their position or reflecting upon them poorly. It all begins in minute steps as employees start arriving at the office 5 or 10 minutes late. This, later on, becomes a habit and harms your chances of getting promoted up to the ladder. These less-than-desirable work habits can act as a package as it not only removes negativity but brings in a stress-free environment for yourself, improving your social skills altogether.
You can start by making a list of unhealthy habits that are commonly found around. Commit to breaking them as think about the changes you can make to become more productive and a pleasant colleague.
Procrastination
The act of procrastination can not only damage your professional life but can also create hindrances in your personal life as well. If you are one of the colleagues who halt projects and work assignments until the last minute before they are due, then the entire office space and company are affected.
You are seriously damaging your prospective chances to become the head of staff or manager if you tend to put off projects that should be submitted before. This act can also put the company in jeopardy. Constant stalling can also put pressure on the staff, anger them, and make them appear unproductive. This also includes reaching the workplace at an allotted time. Although you might not be a morning person, you need to set the alarm and wake earlier to avoid being noted for coming late. This exhibits a lack of discipline and motivation, reflecting you as unprofessional and unfit for the job.
Unsystematic and disorganized
If you want to have a productive output, it is necessary to prioritize desks and other work-related assignments. You need to work according to the plan you have set in your mind or follow the administrative heads’ guidelines. Being organized allows you to look ahead and counter the negative reactions that may befall you.
Therefore goal setting is imperative to avoid things fall on the way. Today, some workers are experts in multitasking and work efficiently by completing one task and then moving to the next. Such professionals are the ones who have to prioritize their goals even before a week or so. You can check your weekly accomplishments and assess yourself and the goals by keeping a spreadsheet. This will allow you to improve and give you a thorough review of what you have been doing for the past few months. It can also motivate you for the future and analyze habits that you need to remove or add for workplace efficiency.
Bad cooperation
Undoubtedly, an effective and competent worker works well with colleagues in the office. This calls for a change in personality as even though you are an introvert, it is imperative to learn people-pleasing techniques and improve interpersonal skills. You depend on your colleagues and your colleagues so, there is no concept of an independent being in a workplace but rather an emphasis on teamwork.
If you are uncooperative, unavailable, lack communication, stubborn, rude to the employees, or fail to work with them, it could easily kill your career. It would help if you improved your attitude with other co-workers to enhance the team spirit. The company’s success depends on teamwork and interpersonal relationship. Exhibit humility and do not antagonize anyone by implementing your own opinions staunchly.
Poor communication
Communication is the basics of any job. Ignoring emails or phone calls and forgetting about replying to important queries can halt your company’s success. Responsible and mature colleagues reply to the email as soon as it drops in, therefore putting a good impression of the company. It is about communication through the internet and developing a good relationship with other colleagues in the workplace. You need to be clear, concise, and brief if required during meetings. Different colleagues and workers are supposed to review a project and analyze a scheme and are answerable to the office managers, who are the head of the hierarchy. Improve your vocabulary, body language, and bring in firmness in the tone to bring in the elements of professionalism.
Negativity and criticism
So many of us generally gossip, complain too much, and whine about workplace ethics. This is not at all healthy behavior as you are transferring your negative vibes to the other colleagues. Your goal is to ensure positivity and boost positive morale for you and anyone working on your team to push productivity. Negative employees are sometimes referred to as cancer by the management in the workplace environment.
It does not mean that criticism and positive feedback should be ignored and kept under wraps. Many good companies offer and welcome constructive criticism from the employees. It is a perfect platform to exchange your views and opinions about the specific idea, scheme, or any other policy that is bothering you within the workplace setup. It is always good to convey your objection to the manager or someone responsible for that but avoid dumping your complaints and negative feedback to the team members. This bad habit is not encouraged or excepted in the workplace.
Once you have thoroughly analyzed your bad habits, you can easily correct them. Acknowledging and understanding your negative behaviors is the first step in workplace accomplishment. You can bring in change by following the transformation behaviors, which are as follows.
Improve your communication skills
to have a steady flow of communication within the workplace, you need to begin with listening skills. Try to listen more and be attentive to other issues, including its unaccomplished goals and targets. If you are standing on the administrative and management level, you need to open yourself to other people and listen to everything they might include. This will prevent you from making large-scale assumptions and harmful decisions. Figure out a way to solve issues without a conflict or language barrier and find a remedy for that situation. If there are huge differences between coworkers, it is essential to find a middle ground to please them. Try changing your tone when speaking to others, as it can lead to honest feedback. In terms of technological communication, respond to emails and texts promptly.
Stay away from distractions.
Being distracted can lead to taking too many breaks and wasting your valuable time, which can be used for productive input. Try to take breathers during lunchtime and connect with the employees mentally and emotionally to change. Taking small breaks during office hours can also boost your productivity as your mind needs a chance to reset. Eliminate distractions at your desks, such as social media, certain websites, gaming, and personal media.
Review your system
Get more structured and set up plans that work by your work ethics and fundamentals. This can guarantee the success and achievement of weekdays are properly utilized. This will help you focus and stay on track, eventually increasing the likelihood that you are well prepared for the next meeting and future programs.
Recognizing the problem is the first step to break unacceptable work habits. You can easily polish your professional skills and correct behavior by using work time to socialize and provide service to the employees to view work ethics.
After leaving Wells Fargo Bank in 2014, Daniel began a career as a finance consultant, advising companies and individuals on economic policy, labor relations, and financial management.
At Nimblefreelancer.com, Daniel writes about personal finance topics, value estimation, budgeting strategies, retirement planning, and portfolio diversification.
Read more on Daniel Smith's biography page.
Contact Daniel: daniel@nimblefreelancer.com
