You know that feeling when you’ve worked at one place for a while? That feeling of being committed, chill, and comfortable?
You know you’re not going anywhere anytime soon, and hopefully, neither is your job.
Well, regardless of how long you’ve been working at one place, it’s important to still keep things professional, especially if you’ve got your eye on that upcoming promotion or big cash money bonus.
We’re all prone to picking up a few bad habits, but be sure to check yourself so you don’t wreck yourself by ensuring you haven’t settled into any of these unprofessional habits on the regular.
(PSST! These tips are more weighted to working in an office environment. Of course what’s considered “unprofessional” will vary from industry to industry, and even person to person! So, don’t think of this as a be all end all list – but a quick guide if you’re working in the corporate world 🙂 Also – check out the video below for the 5 bad work habits you have ditch!
1. Showing up late
Making it to your 9am meeting everyday at 9:05? Sure, it’s only 5 minutes and probably not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but believe it or not, people notice.
If you’re running late once in a blue moon – don’t worry. It happens to everyone at some point or another! Just don’t be “that person” that everyone knows will always show up late.
Make an effort to make it to your meetings on time, and to the office – even if that means leaving your house just a few minutes earlier.
2. Complaining
If you’ve got a really big workload, and things are not going quite how you think they should be in the office, chances are you’ve got a lot on your mind. And trust us, we feel you!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work there are plenty of ways to deal with it, but complaining to your co-workers shouldn’t be one of them. If you’re struggling with your workload, let your manager know and voice your concerns directly. What you don’t want happening is a “he said, she said” situation, that eventually gets to your boss by way of broken telephone.
Still need a vent sesh? That’s what your BFF and half priced bottles of wine are for. 🙂
3. Being a non-stop interrupter
So every now and then, we’ve all had to interject to ask a question or clarify a point. That’s not a bad thing. But avoid being that person who meddles their way into a sentence 24/7 – before the person speaking can even finish their thought. (We’ve all met one of these before!)
You want to be a team player and give everyone the opportunity to share their thoughts. Plus, we don’t like it being done to us, so be conscious not to do it to others on the regular as well.
4. Gossiping
Sure, it’s crazy news that Bryan in Billing got let go, and that Jennifer from Accounting has moved back in with her ex.
…But really, who cares?
Spreading negativity at work never leads to any good, so avoid it by all means and leave the conversation the moment you feel it going there.
5. Over-promising and under-delivering
You gotta walk the talk, baby. If you’re going to claim that you’ll have the perfect business case built by EOD Thursday and you only send that document through the following Monday – then girl, we’ve got a problem.
You don’t want to commit to quality work in a specific time period and not deliver on it. It shows poor reliability, low ability to execute, and if you keep doing it, people will start to doubt your capability.
Better option? Give yourself some buffer room. For example: Commit to getting it done by Thursday (Actually knowing you should be done by Tuesday) and send it over early. Nothing like impressing the big boss with an early handover!
6. Putting off the small stuff
Sure – priorities are super important when you’ve got a lot on the go, but it’s important to set aside a bit of time each day (maybe 30 minutes in the morning, or 30 minutes EOD) to check your emails and respond to those that merit acknowledgement or a response. It might seem like a “small thing”, but those small things can add up quickly.
7. Getting Hammered at Your Office Party
Work hard, play harder. It’s always fun to unwind with your co-workers and your team, especially when you’re celebrating the launch of a new program or the success of a project you’ve worked so hard on.
But, proceed with caution. You don’t want to be the person that’s always getting wasted at your office social parties. Have a of couple drinks, and be there for a good time – but the moment you feel like you’re approaching the edge, it’s time to get out of there!
Puking, oversharing, stumbling — things you don’t want to be doing in front of your boss!
Just remember: if you can stay alive 9-5, Friday is always at most, only 5 days away. 🙂
I own up to my unprofessionalism but does it matter if you work in manufacturing? lol. But I do agree that I am personally guilt of half of this and maybe even more but half sounds better than the whole thing. This is pretty accurate.
Author
Hey Taylor – I personally think perception is universal no matter what industry you’re in! Of course different industries have different cultures so not every point may be applicable (i.e. dress codes may differ, etc.). Either way – if you’re accountable for yourself at work, that covers most of the points around unprofessionalism! 🙂
Agreed. No matter the industry, if you’re looking for any kind of position with responsibilities, leadership, or higher pay, you definitely need to take all of these into account. At the very least, it will get you noticed. It certainly can’t hurt to follow each and every one of these no matter the kind of work. I’m guilty of two of these. I’m changing them moving forward. Thanks for the reminder of what’s important!
Author
Hi Natalia,
Thanks so much for sharing! Glad you found it helpful! 🙂
👍spot on!
Author
Thank you!
I thought it was going to be more like, don’t clip your fingernails or tweeze your eyebrows at your desk (yes, people think this is ok) or don’t goof off your whole lunch hour, then come back to your desk to take another lunch hour where you eat at your desk and do no work.. and the same goes for breakfast. Some people seriously gag at the smell of your eggs every single day. And if you for some reason MUST eat at your desk, PLEASE don’t smack your food or leave your half eaten stink fest in your trash can all day. Go throw it away in the lunch room where those smells are ok. Also, if you love crunching ice or shaking your ice cubes around in your metal cup, please know that somewhere in a cubicle near you is a poor girl on the verge of a mental breakdown and you are for real pushing her over the edge.
Author
Hi Tiffany! Well, definitely would agree that those things are leaning on the unprofessional side as well. 😉
We’ve got a good read on how to deal if you’re feeling overwhelmed at work – just to touch on your last point…
Amen
I agree!!! 👏🏽
Thanks for sharing it’s very nice. I think working smarter than harder shoukd always the key to success. Always give time to some sort of exercise then only can survive in an organisation. Physically and mentally fitness is more important than any work…
Author
Thanks for sharing, Julia! Definitely agree – your health comes first!
Very good points but also it be a good idea to make a list of things employers shouldn’t do to employees. Often times employers instigate some of the bad behavior the employees do. There is low morale and that is why some of these things start happening.
Author
That’s a really good point Susana. Will keep that in mind for a future article. 😉 Thanks for sharing!
I was hoping to se something about being on your cell phone. This happened too many times at my last job. I had to face the customer when their orders weren’t ready.
Author
For sure… especially if you’re in a customer-facing industry, being on your phone non-stop doesn’t look great. (And slows works down!) Thanks for sharing!
This is really great and very informative….i hope to share too…..
Author
Thanks so much! 🙂
The only time that flip flops should be allowed in an office is if the temperature is over 90 degrees and the air conditioner is broken. (Personally, I feel that employees should be allowed to go home under those circumstances, but I’m not a supervisor.)
I have worn open toed shoes to the office when I was young, but I’m not wild about them now. I used to work with a woman who wore open toed shoes on a day when the office was over run with scorpions. That’s asking for toe bites! Another lady I worked with wore flip flops every day – even in below freezing weather! The poor dear couldn’t help it, as she had a problem with her feet and wasn’t able to wear normal shoes. In her case, open toes would have to be permitted. If I remember correctly, she had a note from her doctor.
Author
Hi Gail, thanks for sharing! Sounds like a few interesting situations!!
I noticed the inappropriate work clothes was only aimed at women. I’ve seen men come in sweats and bike shorts!
Author
Hey Terrilyn! This is not to say that men don’t dress inappropriately — this article was written for women as part of our mission to help provide career and lifestyle tips for women. Hope that helps clarify! 🙂
This is so true. Very good examples. Don’t forget filing and polishing nails. Other than the cell phone and food issues though this felt more like female issues. Maybe I’m stereotyping but what are more things guys do.
Author
Good point on the nails, Martha!
This article was written from a female perspective for women given who our readers are, but completely agree there are things (in here as well) that are unprofessional for men as well. Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Oh man I’m a Suzy shittalker. Gotta admit I get pulled right in to gossip. May also have dressing a bit too casual as well. Thanks for the wake up call. Great post. Complacency’s a bitch. Xxx
Author
Lol! Thanks for sharing, Jenna! Glad we can help. 🙂