Looking to get ahead in the workplace? But are you doing one of these unprofessional work behaviors that will hold you back?
6 Unprofessional Work Behaviors That Will Hold You Back
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Complain
You are fed up with annoying colleagues, endless processes, and a lack of resources at your company. However, that doesn’t mean you should complain about it. If you do, you risk being perceived as a negative person and, more so, you miss the opportunity to take action and solve the problems you have.
The workplace rewards problem solvers; those that focus on resolving an issue (vs. just complaining will absolutely get ahead).
2. Entitlement
You may feel that, because of how hard you work or the results you deliver, that you are owed a promotion or bigger responsibility. That may be true, but often obtaining a promotion is more than just doing great in your current job. Rather, you need to demonstrate the ability to do the next job.
I’ve seen many high performers ruin their chances at my company because they felt entitled to a promotion they were not ready for. Now, if you are a high performer, your company does owe you an investment in your development; that is, opportunities and feedback that will help you grow (and ultimately get you promoted).
But, if you feel entitled to a promotion immediately after delivering a big project, you will likely be seen as entitled and, as a result, diminish your future prospects.
3. Lying
You are likely to make mistakes in your career. Even the best leaders make mistakes. If you make a mistake, the best thing to do is to just come clean. Tell your boss what happened, what you learned from it, and how you would do things differently next time. He or she will respect you for your honesty, and — in the future — they will likely always trust you if someone else accuses you of something.
4. Perfectionism
You’re nervous to take on a tough project because you’re worried about something wrong. The truth is that — in any hard project – something is bound to not go well. In the end, your boss cares more about how you rebound and address the issue than you are about everything ongoing perfectly.
Simply put, if you are not taking on tough assignments because you are a perfectionist, then you are holding yourself back!
5. Victim Mentality
If nothing ever goes your way and it’s never your fault, you could be jeopardizing your career by playing the victim.
Countless times I’ve had direct reports sit in my office and say that XYZ did go well because another department didn’t do their job. Or we missed a sales target because a snowstorm stopped a distributor from delivering the product on time.
Yes, things do happen outside of your control. However, you have the accountability to proactively identify and address it.
If you don’t deliver, it’s never your fault, and you’re not proactive about addressing the unforeseen issue, then you’re playing the victim and that will stall your career.
6. Not Taking Feedback
Every one of us gets feedback on how to improve to either get to the next level or to perform to expectations. Throughout your career, you will likely receive both types of feedback at least once.
Your response to this feedback is very important. A big challenge can arise if you react poorly to getting the feedback by either being defensive or accusatory. If you say “that’s not true” or “no I didn’t” when you receive feedback, you risk holding yourself back. Who wants to give you more responsibility if you’re not willing to take accountability and show a willingness to grow?
Even if you disagree with the feedback, you should say “thank you” and then determine how (or if) you will incorporate the feedback in the future.
How about you? What are the unprofessional work behaviors you think hold people back?
If you liked this post, be sure to check these out:
- 3 Behaviors That Will Ensure You Get Promoted
- 5 Most Important Career Tips for Ambitious Women
- How to Improve the Top 4 Leadership Traits
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