You know how people have these bad habits that get you down?
You’re probably in that lot too, sorry.
When it comes to bad habits, we’re all in the same boat. Most people have a couple, and those who don’t are just hiding it better. It’s all part of being human.
What’s important is to recognise these habits, and make an effort at breaking them. This is especially important when it comes to the workplace, because you might seriously sabotage your career prospects with bad work habits.
So here’s a list you can use to settle on your New Year resolution. This’ll make you a better employee and give your career a boost.
- I Will Be Punctual
Sometimes delays happen, and you can’t avoid the traffic snarl from hell anymore than you can ignore a punctured tyre. These are all acceptable reasons to be late to work.
But if you’re ‘getting stuck in traffic’ on a daily basis, none of your excuses are going to hold any water.
The importance of punctuality at the workplace cannot be denied, because it’s not just your time that’s on the line, but also the time of your clients and coworkers. Your tardiness has a detrimental effect on overall productivity, and on your credibility.
So make an effort to be early to your appointments, especially if you’re trying to make a good first impression when applying for a new job.
- I Will Be Proactive
Everyone’s been a procrastinator at some point, especially when it came to submitting assignments.
While this was excusable in an educational setting, this is one of those habits that you should leave behind with your college wardrobe of ripped jeans.
Procrastination at the workplace often throws off schedules and definitely annoys the people you work with. You miss deadlines, turn in rushed work, and lose the respect of your colleagues and bosses.
Instead, get started on your projects as early as possible, so you can take your time and produce good work.
- I Will Be Focused
It’s easy to get distracted when you’re on a long winded project, or even if you’re tired and have had a long day. But when you take your distraction to your coworkers and decide office hours are the best time to discuss your cousin’s wedding and the meaning of life, it becomes a problem.
Annoying your coworkers is bad enough, but if your idea of dealing with boredom is spending hours on social media sites instead of working, you’re going to be fired before you can say “Facebook”.
Decide now to stay focused. If you find your attention wandering, then take a short coffee break and get right down to getting your work done instead of affecting overall productivity.
- I Will Communicate Better
If your work inbox has over a hundred unread emails, that’s a problem.
Taking too long to respond to emails, or not checking them at all, results in you missing out on important information and deadlines. The way you respond to emails is also important, because if you’re too long winded or abrupt, you’re going to annoy everyone who has to read these emails.
You should also work on communicating clearly and effectively in your presentations and conversations so that you can get your point across with minimum fuss.
- I Will Do My Part
Putting your work on hold for minor personal problems, and not picking up the slack when everyone is overloaded with work are red flags to employers.
It’s one thing to have a genuine medical emergency, but you can’t schedule your routine dental appointment at the same time as a meeting, and expect your co-workers to be okay with it. And after this, if you refuse to pick up the slack when someone takes a day off because ‘it’s not your job’, you won’t have one for very long.
Step up to the task when there’s work to be done, and you’ll be able to negotiate your salary and position in the company later. Be honest about your productivity, and don’t conduct personal affairs during office hours.
Correcting bad habits is invaluable when it comes to your career prospects.
So take a good look at yourself, and stick to your New Year resolutions to be a better employee and co-worker. Good luck!
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