Everyone has their bad work habits. Maybe your cube mate is a pen-clicker when they’re in deep thought. Or maybe someone across the aisle routinely talks loudly on the phone. The fact is that we all have bad workplace habits. Unfortunately, some habits are just distracting and maybe a little annoying while others could be putting your professional success at risk.
Here are 6 of the most common workplace habits as well as ways to put them to rest in 2018 – as soon as you can!
1. Being Close Minded
One of the keys to being successful in any position is to be open-minded. Sometimes the best ideas come from brainstorming sessions with others on your team. But, brainstorming is only useful if you’re willing to be patient and open minded. Trying to edit someone’s ideas or outright shooting them down won’t do any good.
Problem solving is all about listening and taking a step back to hear everyone’s approach.
2. Poor Email Management
Email continues to be the go-to method of communication in the business world. From scheduling meetings to collaborating on documents, email is the perfect medium for getting work done. But, poor email management can impact how effectively you use your time.
One of the biggest email blunders that workers make is reading and responding to emails as soon as they’re received. While certain emails can be responded to without much thought, others may require input and consensus from others on your team. Though your recipients probably respect a quick response, they won’t be too happy if they’re missing important information.
To improve your email management skills:
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Take time to gather the right response
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Learn to organize and categorize emails
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Don’t let email distract you from active tasks
With proper email management, you can make the best use of your time during the work day. Don’t be afraid to close your inbox and focus on other tasks. If a message is that important, you can bet that you’ll receive a phone call.
3. Being Away From Your Desk Too Often
There’s definitely nothing wrong with taking a break from your desk. It’s healthy to get up and walk around to get your blood flowing and to get in a few steps. But, being away from your desk too often can reflect badly on you. no matter if you’re walking the halls to blow off some steam or taking a vape break, it’s important to avoid giving off the idea that you’re rarely at your desk.
As a general rule, try not to be away from your desk more than 15 minutes every hour. And, when you do leave your desk, let your cube mate know or leave a note stating when you’ll be back. This way if your boss swings by or someone comes by looking for you, they know when they can reach you.
4. Tardiness
No one is a perfect employee. We all have those mornings when we oversleep and just can’t make it to work on time. While your boss isn’t likely to have an issue with you being late every-so-often, if you make tardiness a routine occurrence, count on your superiors noticing. No matter if you’re late to work or late to a meeting, people will note your absence. Being late on a constant basis may hurt your ability to get promoted. It may also cause strain on relationships with clients.
Don’t let tardiness become a daily problem. If you’re looking to become a leader one day, you’ll need to put forth a company culture that you want others to follow.
5. Asking Before Researching
Ever received an email from someone with a question they could have answered on their own? Chances are you’re guilty of it too. People receive dozens if not hundreds of emails on a daily basis. If you have a question to ask, before sending an email or making a phone call, do some research. Otherwise you burden others with answering your question which in turn decreases productivity.
6. Too Much Complaining
All workplaces have their problems. Sometimes processes are outdated and inefficient. Sometimes we’re paired with an employee who we don’t necessarily click with. While these situations can be stressful, there’s a time and place for complaining. In the workplace, constant complaining won’t reflect well on you. If you have a problem with something, it’s best to speak up about it using positive language.
Never point the finger at someone else and don’t bring up a problem without presenting a potential solution. Turn the situation into one that allows you to show your leadership skills. Find issues and offer ways to fix them so that the business as a whole can be bettered positioned.
Conclusion
Sometimes bad habits die hard. But, the fact is that we’re all in control of how we act when we’re at work. If you suffer from any of these common 6 workplace habits, don’t wait another day to making them a vice of the past.