Days in the office are becoming busier and more fast paced, which means you can sometimes forget about the little things at the office that can help you take that next step in your career. Being aware of those around you can help you to build positive relationships and more importantly, help you avoid some of the traps people fall into. Here are some of the most common mistakes people make in the workplace that can have a significant effect on how people perceive them.
1. Working on too many tasks at once.
It’s great that you work hard and want to prove how valuable you are, but sometimes less is more. The more projects you decide to take on at once, the tougher it is to stay on track and complete individual projects by their deadlines. Also, you may find that the quality of your work begins to suffer and then it becomes difficult to prove your value when you deliver so much sub-par work. Do less but do it well!
2. Communicating with everyone at the office in the same way.
People are individuals and this does not change at work. People have their own interests and their own way of speaking, and by treating everyone the same, it becomes difficult to develop any kind of long-lasting relationship with your colleagues.
It’s important to remember people’s unique personalities and developing relationships with different personalities will help you to not only get along with your colleagues better, but also your clients/customers.
3. Not learning from your mistakes.
Mistakes are not a bad thing by any means, although they begin to become rather annoying if you don’t learn anything from them. If you do not learn from your previous mistakes, you are doomed to repeat them again and while a onetime mistake can be brushed off, the same mistake is a little less tolerable.
4. Taking too long to get your point across.
Rambling is an unprofessional way to get your point across to your colleagues, it makes you seem like you don’t know what you’re talking about and it wastes their time. As you know, time is precious and the last thing you want is to be known as the guy that just rambles on before they tell you what they want. Being clear and concise lets people know you mean business and just want to get back to work to get the job done.
5. Not smiling.
The art of smiling is valuable, and not to be underestimated. No one wants to talk to people if they make you sad just looking at them, it also gives your colleagues the impression that you’re not approachable. Happier people are more productive people, being happy will not only help you move further in your career but help to make your days more enjoyable.
6. Using your phone too much.
In some jobs it is required that you spend some time on your phone, making calls, sending text messages etc, however there is a limit. Although you may be working, it’s more likely that you’re on Facebook or Twitter and that never looks good with the boss. Try as hard as you can to cut down on using your phone for personal errands and use it only when needed for work purposes.
7. Lacking confidence.
Don’t lack confidence in yourself and what you can achieve. You should always remember that those around you and above you in the workplace believe you can do the job well, that’s why they hired you over all the other applicants that applied. Be strong in your recommendations and your ideas and continue to take chances to be great.