If you haven’t learned how to conduct yourself in a business environment yet, you should know that there are quite a few common behaviors that can make you seem young and unprofessional. Those negative behaviors don’t make you a bad person, but as an employee, they can affect your productivity and sometimes, they might even cost you your job. Even though a single bad habit can’t get you fired, the cumulative effect of that bad habit over time can. A lot of people don’t even notice that they possess these bad habits so it’s best to become more self-aware and to practice habits that will be of value to the company you work for. Here are 7 habits that can make you seem unprofessional that you should consider:
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1. Procrastination
This is definitely one of those habits that will make you seem young, immature and unprofessional. If you think that you do your best work at the last minute and you tend to put off assignments or projects until the day they are due, you should consider the impact that this habit of yours is having on your co-workers.
2. Upspeaking
This is basically the habit of ending all of our sentences with an upward tone, as if you are asking a question. Using upspeak in the workplace can really annoy your co-workers because nobody likes to hear someone end every statement on an “up” note. Most people don’t realize they are doing this, so try to record yourself talking about a topic you are comfortable with, play back the tape and pay attention to your tone.
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3. Using Filler Words
We often try to fill in that uncomfortable silence that happens when we are trying to find the perfect words to describe a certain thing. So whether you use, hmm, uh, um or like, you should know that filler words actually indicate that you are not comfortable with the subject at hand and you will seem unprofessional.
4. Excessive Punctuation
Keep in mind that the e-mails you send at work are not your text messages, so save the emoticons and the emojis for your personal correspondence. A professional e-mail sent to one of your clients should not be filled with smileys. Also, not using proper punctuation and capitalization can be just as damaging to your professional reputation.
5. Long E-mails
Composing an e-mail that resembles a novel or a college essay is a way of making sure your message won’t be read. Keep your e-mails short and simple, stay on topic and use the first two sentences to convey the most important idea. Most executives read their e-mail on their mobile devices, so keep it simple and your professionalism will be appreciated.
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6. Speaking in a Monotone
If you often give presentations, just keep in mind that you should be talking to your audience and not at them. Use your body language to express your ideas in a more convincing manner and try to have a more conversational and natural tone so you won’t bore your audience.
7. Tardiness
This is one of those habits that you need to break if you want to seem more professional. Improve your time management skills and always show up on time. If you are always late, you will display an attitude of carelessness and complacency and people will not take you seriously.
If you want to be perceived as a real professional in the workplace, avoid habits like negativity, lying, social media addiction or speaking without thinking. Do you know any other habits that will make someone seem unprofessional? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section!
Sources:
money.usnews.com
thegrindstone.com
forbes.com
money-fax.com
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