Even if you don’t realize it, you should know that you may have quite a few bad habits that drive your co-workers crazy. Karla Miller, writer for The Washington Post, says that “Working in close quarters with other people is always an adjustment. But if you’re constantly distracting coworkers, it makes them edgy and resentful and corrodes camaraderie”. Also, these bad habits can make you seem unprofessional and they can even cost you some opportunities for advancement in your career. Even though these bad habits may not seem like such a big deal to you, in the long term, they can really drive your co-workers crazy. Here are 7 bad habits that you should try to correct:
The fact that you often make an unreasonable amount of noise is one of those habits that you need to correct. Just keep in mind that excessive or repetitive noise gets annoying very quickly, so try not to talk too loudly on the phone, don’t chew your food too loudly and try not to clear your throat too much. I’m not saying that those activities are bad but if you do them continuously, you may disrupt your co-workers.
When you’re at work, you should know that people are there to get their work done and not necessarily to make friends or to just pass the time in a fun way. Some of your co-workers can get really annoyed if you engage in too much small talk instead of doing your share of work or instead of allowing them to take care of their own tasks.
Even if you are really close to your co-workers, try not to touch them too much or in unwanted or inappropriate ways. Try not to hug, poke, tickle or grab your co-workers or even pat pregnant bellies since this may drive your work colleagues crazy. Try to act in a professional way when you’re at work since there are a lot of people who don’t enjoy being touched.
When you’re at work, be considerate and don’t invade other people’s personal space. Even though cubicles don’t have doors, respect your colleagues’ privacy. Try to get your own supplies in order so you won’t have to always borrow other people’s staplers or hole-punchers.
Even though you are bored or you don’t like your job so much, be professional and take care of all your tasks in time. Just respect your deadlines and don’t ask your colleagues to help you and do your job for you. It’s your responsibility to take care of your tasks, so try not to annoy your co-workers by being a slob.
Gossiping is an awful habit in general but it can be even worse if you do it at work. It will only make you look like a superficial, distrustful and two-faced person and your co-workers may even report you to your superiors if your gossiping gets out of hand and it rubs someone up the wrong way. Just keep in mind that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.
Even though you are going through a hard time or you don’t like your job, avoid complaining too much at work. It’s okay and healthy to vent occasionally to a good friend who has some free time and who is willing to listen but avoid complaining out loud all day long when you’re at work.
If you don’t want to annoy your work colleagues, try not to surf the web too often, don’t take long lunch breaks, don’t leave early too often and don’t forget about your manners. Do you know any other bad habits that can drive your co-workers crazy? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section!
Sources:
career-advice.monster.com
businessinsurance.org
onlinecareertips.com