Most of us are familiar with the seven deadly sins: envy, lust, greed, etc…This post suggests seven workplace sins that can damage your career.
- Gossiping: There’s a big difference between staying in the loop and gossiping. Staying in the loop means you keep your eyes and ears open for information about what’s going on in the organization, your department or team. Your focus is on relevant information. Gossiping is malicious in nature, typically focused on irrelevant details about a particular person or persons. Initially it may be fun to join in, but in the long run it could damage your credibility. And remember you don’t know today who you might be working for tomorrow. Here’s a tip on how to gossip from A Complaint Free World by William Bowen:
Make sure what you are saying about the absent person is complimentary
You would repeat, word for word, what you are saying if the absent person were present.
- Anti-social behavior: On the other end of the spectrum, being anti-social can have a negative impact on your career. If your idea of interacting with your co-workers is saying hello and goodbye – it’s time to expand your level of contact. While making friends at work may not be a top career goal, having friends and being liked are a good foundation for making your career goals happen. According to an Accountemps survey, sixty-three percent of employees polled said that productivity increases when coworkers are friends outside of the office. And in The Likability Factor, Tim Sanders writers: “The more likable you are, the more likely you are to be on the receiving end of a positive choice from which you can profit.
- Sloppy work: Do you consistently turn in projects late? Do you take “shortcuts” that impact the quality of your work? Or maybe you never take the time to double-check your work which results in costly mistakes. Even one episode of sloppiness is enough to ruin your reputation with your boss or your team. One sure way to alienate your co-workers and ruin your chances for promotion is to become known as a slacker. Here are a few tips to improve the quality of your work:
1. Slow down. If you need to, seek help on how to better manage your time.
2. Get organized. Better organization of your physical space will not only save you time but give you the room to work more efficiently.
3. Get help. If grammar and spelling are issues for you – take a class, read a book, go online (Grammar Girl), or enlist a co-worker to do a quick review for you.
4. Look into it. If you’ve noticed a decrease in the quality of your work over time, there may be an underlying reason. Spend some time reflecting on what’s going on.
- Perfectionism: The opposite of sloppy work, requiring that everything be perfect, can also have a negative effect on your work. I personally know of a woman who was fired for taking too long to get things done because she was obsessed with having her work be “perfect.” Perfectionism doesn’t just impact you, causing you to overwork and rework unnecessarily, it can also make for tense interactions your relationship with your co-workers. It can be extremely frustrating for them to try to work up to your overzealous standards and expectations. What can you do if you’re gripped by the perfectionist bug? Purposely aim for 90% instead of the 110% you normally work towards. Not only will your productivity increase, and your stress decrease, but you will also be surprised that nobody notices a difference in the quality of your work.
In the next post, I’ll share the other three deadly workplace sins.
June 28, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Like this post. I did need to be more socially at work but not to much lol.