Being Bossy When You’re Not the Boss

Nothing is worse than a busy body co-worker that thinks they are in charge particularly when they are not the designated boss. There are natural leaders in every business that will generally keep things in check when the boss is not around, but that person is typically recognized by the majority as such without much discussion. If you’re not the person the boss or others look to for help running the joint when the head cheese is not around, don’t assume that others will respond well to you barking out orders. It is better to keep the peace by sticking to what you do best before guiding others.

Being Closed Minded

Newsflash—your approach isn’t always the best way to accomplish a task, and everyone has their own way of doing their job. Don’t take offense when others don’t do things the way you’d do them especially if their way works well for them. The beauty of humans is we all develop ways to accomplish a given task in a fashion that makes us most comfortable; instead of bemoaning that, embrace it.

Asking for Feedback; Becoming Defensive Upon Receipt

Most of us have an innate desire to help others so when someone comes to us asking for constructive feedback, we generally are flattered and more than willing to help. If you’re willing to put yourself out there by asking for feedback, don’t become defensive or argumentative when someone fulfills your request. You’re sure to alienate your co-worker, and you may lose a friend in the process. Picking a fight over an opinion you solicited is a bad idea no matter how you spin it.

Being Inefficient

We all have areas of our working life we’d like to improve upon, but nothing annoys co-workers more than having to pick up the slack for someone which is not contributing their fair share. Some si

Being Closed Minded

Newsflash—your approach isn’t always the best way to accomplish a task, and everyone has their own way of doing their job. Don’t take offense when others don’t do things the way you’d do them especially if their way works well for them. The beauty of humans is we all develop ways to accomplish a given task in a fashion that makes us most comfortable; instead of bemoaning that, embrace it.

Asking for Feedback; Becoming Defensive Upon Receipt

Most of us have an innate desire to help others so when someone comes to us asking for constructive feedback, we generally are flattered and more than willing to help. If you’re willing to put yourself out there by asking for feedback, don’t become defensive or argumentative when someone fulfills your request. You’re sure to alienate your co-worker, and you may lose a friend in the process. Picking a fight over an opinion you solicited is a bad idea no matter how you spin it.

Being Inefficient

We all have areas of our working life we’d like to improve upon, but nothing annoys co-workers more than having to pick up the slack for someone which is not contributing their fair share. Some si

Asking for Feedback; Becoming Defensive Upon Receipt

Most of us have an innate desire to help others so when someone comes to us asking for constructive feedback, we generally are flattered and more than willing to help. If you’re willing to put yourself out there by asking for feedback, don’t become defensive or argumentative when someone fulfills your request. You’re sure to alienate your co-worker, and you may lose a friend in the process. Picking a fight over an opinion you solicited is a bad idea no matter how you spin it.

Being Inefficient

We all have areas of our working life we’d like to improve upon, but nothing annoys co-workers more than having to pick up the slack for someone which is not contributing their fair share. Some si

Being Inefficient

We all have areas of our working life we’d like to improve upon, but nothing annoys co-workers more than having to pick up the slack for someone which is not contributing their fair share. Some signs you may be inefficient include:

? Having to consistently work overtime to get your tasks accomplished. If you’re supposed to work eight hours in a day, you should be able to get a normal workload completed on time under normal circumstances.

? Having to repeat tasks throughout the day that could be completed in one effort. For example: let’s say you receive multiple e-mails per day that aren’t immediately revenue generating—set aside some time each day to review e-mails all at once instead of checking your inbox multiple times per day.

? Not documenting your work as you go. If your job requires you to repeat specific critical tasks every single day, unlike the example above, create a log to keep from forgetting what has been done. This simple change can save you a lot of time. After-all, if you repeat critical tasks every day, the days will blend together in your mind at some point because of the routine.

? Business leaders shunning you when it is time to hand out important, new responsibilities. This should clue you in there is a problem. If you’re observant, you’ll notice employees held in high regard typically don’t have any problem increasing their responsibilities and becoming more worthy of a promotion.

Backstabbing to Cover Your Behind

If a co-worker confides in you, don’t compromise that trust by using the confidential information they shared to better your position especially if things become strenuous in your position. It’s also not a good idea to throw a co-worker under the bus to deflect any heat you may be feeling. If push comes to shove, take the high road. Your co-worker will thank you, and they will definitely owe you one. You never know when you may need to cash in a favor, and word will spread that you did the right thing even it if was painful.

Avoiding Responsibility

While this may seem related to backstabbing, it’s a different animal which should be addressed as such. When y