Obviously, no one wants to be unpopular at work so I have put together a list of common pitfalls that could make you unpopular at work, so we can all avoid them!
1. Gossiping
A little harmless gossip doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, but be careful about talking about your colleagues behind their backs (especially being negative) and getting the reputation as the office gossip. Being seen as a gossip could mean people are less likely to trust you and makes it easier to become embroiled in office politics! Keeping things simple means you can stay out of any drama and stay professional.
2. Sucking Up
Be yourself with your colleagues and boss without sucking up. Being authentic is an admirable quality; no one likes to be around people who are trying to be nice to people based on their status or what they think they can get out of them. Treating everyone you come into contact with respectfully and equally is an admirable quality.
3. Laziness
If you don’t do your job properly it means that someone else will have to pick up the slack. Even if you hate your job, try to do the best each day. At least you will get a good reference when you leave and won’t burn your bridges with your colleagues and boss before you go!
4. Talking Too Much or Too Little
Talking too much or too little can be a pitfall at work.
It is great to be friendly and outgoing but it is also good to be aware that you are at work and to be professional. Talking too much can slow yourself and others down in your job and give the impression to your boss that you are more interested in socialising or talking about yourself than working.
On the other hand, talking too little can make it hard for your colleagues to get to know you making it difficult to work together.
If you feel that you are out of balance with other of these, you could ask to attend a communication or confidence workshop to work on your skills in these areas.
5. Complaining
Everyone needs to let off steam at times but beware of becoming the office complainer! If you find yourself complaining regularly, keep a note of what you are complaining about and then see what you can do about each of the issues. Often we convince ourselves that “it is just the way things are” or that “things won’t change” without even trying to do anything about them. Nipping the complaining habit in the bud will help you (and the people around you!) feel better.
Bio: Jen Smith is a Life Coach, Mentor & Writer. She has tried many career paths herself and now helps people achieve their goals and dreams.
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