6 Bad Workplace Habits To Quit Immediately

By Michelle Wanjiku 

Think of that colleague that you don’t really like and why you don’t like them. The answer is likely to be you don’t like them because of a behavior they have.

One factor that affects your success at work is your work habits. Your habits at work affect your relationships with colleagues as well as determine your reputation. All of which are very important when it comes to career growth in the organization.

This means that you need to get rid of bad habits if, for example, you want to get a promotion or excel at your current position.

Here are some of the bad habits you need to get rid of at work.

1. Gossiping

No one cares that Mary broke up with her boyfriend or Tim is having financial trouble.

Gossiping is not a good vice in general but when it comes to the workplace, it is even more frowned upon.

Being known as the office gossip is something that could prevent you from actually growing as a professional because no one will want to help you out.

Look at it this way, if there is a promotion coming up and your supervisor is asked to recommend the person they think fits the role, who do you think will be recommended? The person who works hard and minds their own business or the office gossip?

Meddling in other people’s affairs at the workplace and talking about their weaknesses is a vice that will have negative effects on your career.

Not to mention, if you spend most of your time gossiping, then you are probably not being productive.

2. Dressing inappropriately

Most organizations have a dress code and as an employee, you are supposed to stick to it.

This means that even if your workplace is liberal when it comes to how you dress, you should still remember that you need to keep it professional.

What you wear reflects your personality and it’s always good to show that you are mature and take your job seriously. Be presentable.

3. Not being a team player

There is a reason why in most job advertisements, you will find that being a team player is one of the requirements.

Employers understand that in order for their business to succeed, they need to hire people who can work together towards the common goal.

You shouldn’t isolate yourself from your colleagues at work. Being a team player is also a requirement if you want to ever hold a managerial position.

4. Causing drama

It’s okay to disagree with your colleagues once in a while; however, you shouldn’t be getting into conflicts every other day.

You also need to learn how to deal with conflict at work without being dramatic. Respond, don’t react.

If you are always conflicting with people at work then they will start avoiding you which would isolate you and hurt your chances of getting a promotion.

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5. Refusing to help

No one ever succeeds alone, we all require help at one point or another.

You should be willing to help out your colleagues because you never know next time it might be you who needs help.

Who do you think is more likely to get help, the person who always helps others or one who never agrees to help others?

6. Oversharing

People in the office don’t need to know that you broke up with your boyfriend or are fighting with your best friend.

Remember that work is still a professional setting so even though you have formed friendships with your colleagues, there are things you shouldn’t talk about.

However, this also depends on the level of friendships you have formed, it’s okay to tell your colleague these things if they are also part of your private life, however, it’s not okay to tell them to Nancy from HR who you only talk to during lunch hour.

Lastly,

Your behavior at work will determine whether you succeed at your job or not, and so, you need to avoid these bad habits at all cost.

You need to actually work towards getting rid of these habits if you want to increase your chances of growing at work.