As you get more and more in your workplace, every now and then you may walk the fine line of abiding by the office etiquette rules. However make sure to never completely cross the line and commit these 4 serious work blunders.
1. Lie
White lies told at work may sound good, but if you can’t actually produce, these embellishments can cause a serious issue. For example, in your interview you claimed to be advanced at Keynote, assuming you would never need to show off said talent since it truly doesn’t relate to your position. One day, years later, your boss recalls this and gives you a huge Keynote project. It is imperative that you deliver…what do you do? Noone wants to be in this position, its nightmarish. Keep the lies and embellishments out of the workplace. You can’t afford for them to come back and haunt you.
2. Speak out of anger
Most of your time during the week is spent at work so it really behooves you to keep this place as drama-free, or even fun *gasp*, as possible. Yes, be true to yourself and authentic but try to always keep your cool. If your “true” self is a potty-mouth hothead, keep those emotions at bay while in the office. Your coworkers should be privy to your authentic self, but they do not need to be subjected to your impulsivity and rage issues.
3. Backstab
In life, talking behind peoples back is a no-no and generally considered petty and insecure. This remains true once you go into the workplace. People love gossip, there’s a high that comes from hearing, discussing, and spreading someone else’s news (we are all guilty of it to a degree). The act of gossiping is already unkind but backstabbing is taking it to a whole new level of malice. It is meant to undermine and ridicule someone’s effort even if you consider them a friend. I like to refer to this as sabotage. Sabotage is not only cruel but ultimately you’ll only end up being viewed negatively by those you have been gossiping to. There are no winners here.
4. Burn bridges
It seems cliché, but the business world is all about relationships and who you know. Every single encounter with coworkers, team members, clients, and supervisors is important. Please don’t misunderstand; I do not believe that everyone is vital to your success. I fully appreciate that we can share cubicles with truly awful humans, the backstabbing and lying colleagues we have previously discussed, but you have to cultivate these relationships carefully. Remember, you come in contact with these people daily, nurture these relationships. Even if some people need to be kept at arms distance, envision everyone as a future asset.
If done, these 4 things can be detrimental to your career as a whole. Backstab, lie, yell at, or burn bridges with the wrong person and you can wreak havoc on your professional life. Stay away internal drama and emotional outbursts and instead focus on what is important – succeeding in your career. Namaste.