8 More Bad Business Habits

Bad business habits are the mistakes you make when you aren’t paying attention because they come to you so naturally. You do them every day but find them hard to break. Chances are they rile up your coworkers and are the topic of discussion behind your back.

In a previous article, I presented you with a set of nine bad business habits. Because of the popularity of the subject, I have come up with a follow-up list of eight more business habits you should be aware of.
1- You demand to be in the loop
Remember the expression "mind your own business?" Well, here is a hard question to ask yourself: Are you perhaps a little too nosy at work? Do you need to be aware of all the gossip and bustle that goes on with your coworkers?

One thing that really irritates people is when individuals demand to be kept informed about every little thing that goes on. If you are one of those people with ears like antennae, you should try to refrain from doing so. The next time you hear people snickering or gossiping, think twice about including yourself in their conversation.

How to break it: If your duties require that you stay abreast of developments, schedule short but regular meetings for people to bring important matters to your attention. Otherwise, try to steer clear of prying into other people’s conversations. Stick with what you are doing and, well, mind your own business.
2- You are unprepared
Showing up to a meeting unprepared takes up other people’s time. Not only does it look bad, but if you spend a meeting trying to catch up, your coworkers will think it is almost better if you were not there.

If you are interrupting the discussion with questions you should already know the answers to, the meeting can end up being unproductive all because you were unprepared.

How to break it: Make a habit of giving yourself 15 minutes before a meeting to prepare for it. It may seem like a nuisance, but it is a good habit to get into because it keeps you on top of things.

3- You are too much of a “Yes Man"
One thing people uniformly despise is an ass kisser. Someone who is always trying to win his boss’ approval will be seen as an unrespectable nuisance by everybody, including the boss.

Sometimes you have to confront your boss when he is wrong. There are times when you need to stand up for yourself, stand up for your team or stand up for your fellow colleagues. If you don’t do this, you will come across as a weak person and no one will respect you.

How to break it: Make a list of the directives your boss has given that you have agreed to. Check whether there might be a good reason for you to have said “no” instead of “yes” to these demands. Learning to disagree and how to act on it will give you the practice you need to be a strong, reliable person. Win the respect of your coworkers by showing them that you have your own mind and a spine to back it up.
4- You overexpose your personal life
Do not make the mistake of assuming that everyone is interested in what happens to you outside of work. Most people do not want to know about your personal life but are too polite to say so.

If you are too casual, you could come across as unprofessional. Don't act like everyone is your “best buddy” and reveal too much of your private life.

How to break it: If someone is genuinely interested, they will inquire about you and your personal life. Wait for the other party to show interest before you reveal information about yourself.

Make sure that your coworkers are not egging you on so they can laugh behind your back at your rambling. Be careful that you are not revealing more information than they asked for. Listen for follow-up questions to be certain the person you are talking to is still interested.
5- You walk off with other people's things
It may seem like a small thing, but people get annoyed when you walk off with their personal items. It causes an inconvenience when your peers have to retrieve their pens, calculators and other items just because you forgot to return them.

This is a habit that is caused by a combination of constantly picking things up at people's desks and being forgetful.

How to break it: Label your own things. You are the one with the “picking up and walking away” problem, so you should not expect others to label theirs. As soon as you notice that something is not labelled as yours, try to return it to its rightful owner immediately.

6- You are too loud on the phone
Are you aware of the volume of your voice when you're talking on the phone? Many people are easily distracted and cannot concentrate when there is a lot of noise. If you work in an open office environment, this could be a very big drain on productivity.

How to break it: Find an empty boardroom if you are going to have a long conversation. If none are available, avoid using the speakerphone and try to keep your voice at a reasonable level.
7- You are unsure of yourself
Confidence is very important for both your self-esteem and your career success. If you are unsure of yourself, others will be unsure of you as well, and they will not see you as a valuable worker.

If others are relying on your work, you need to show them that you are confident and that your duties will be done correctly and on time. When you hand something in, don’t make excuses for why it might be bad. If you are good at your job overall, your insecurities are most likely just psychological.

How to break it: Make a list of how often you are actually wrong. If the occurrences are neither serious nor frequent, you should let go of your insecurities and believe that you are an important asset to your workplace.
8- You are wordy and repetitive
Does it take you more than five minutes to communicate a simple message? If so, you may be too wordy and repetitive. People may feel like cutting you short, but linger about until you finish talking out of politeness. They may tend to let their minds wander while you take your sweet time blabbering away just to answer a simple question.

If you want to find out whether you are too long-winded and repetitive, pay attention to whether people try to wander away from you as you speak. If they are slowly backing away or their eyes are shifting in other directions, chances are you're taking too much of their time.

How to break it: Take a local writing class or a persuasive speaking workshop. These resources will help you practice framing your questions, answers and ideas into a more concise and interesting format.
breaking loose
It takes strength of character and persistence to shake off bad work habits. Of course, there will be times when you fall back into a bad routine, but if you are quick to identify and address these habits, you can be confident that you will slowly rid yourself and your coworkers of the burden.