Nobody’s perfect, but making too many mistakes at work can doom your prospects for advancement—or continued employment, for that matter. Don’t take any chances. Avoid these all-too-common errors that could cost you your job:
• Procrastination.
Don’t put off fulfilling your basic job responsibilities. Your managers and co-workers will quickly decide they can’t depend on you. Take care of priorities on time.
• Dishonesty.
Lying, stealing, or covering up mistakes will usually result in your rapid termination. Tell the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. People may be angry, but they’ll respect you for being honest with them.
• Negative attitude.
You may do your job well, but if you complain all day and constantly point out everything that’s wrong with your co-workers and your organization, few will want to work with you. When you see a legitimate problem, fix it if you can. Don’t make everyone else suffer because you’re unhappy.
• Email abuse.
Everyone depends on email these days. If your messages are too long-winded, or so curt they seem rude, you’ll have trouble communicating effectively with the people you depend on (and vice versa). Similarly, ignoring emails that call for a rapid response, along with deluging managers and co-workers with copies of every message that crosses your screen, will suggest that your grasp of priorities needs adjustment.
• Distraction.
If you’re constantly paying attention to social media, or even if you’re so absorbed in your work that you don’t know what’s going on around you, people may write you off as self-centered and unconcerned about the organization. Pay attention and contribute to show you’re committed to success.
• Anger.
Everyone gets angry from time to time, but if you get a reputation for throwing temper tantrums and blaming others when things don’t go your way, you’ll have few allies in the workplace when you really need them. Keep a cool head, so co-workers know they can rely on your professionalism.