Do You Make These Mistakes at Work?
\nHow to stop shooting yourself in the foot
\nJohn P. Weiss<\/p>\n
There were people in my law enforcement career who seemed determined to fail. Despite mentoring, instruction, gentle correction, and discipline, they consistently chose the low road.
\nWhat\u2019s the low road? An appetite for excuses, blame, and underperformance. An aversion to personal responsibility.
\n\u201cIf you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn\u2019t sit for a month.\u201d\u2015 Theodore Roosevelt
\nNot long after being promoted to the rank of police sergeant, I was sent to a supervisory school. There, among many subjects, I learned the art of performance appraisal. How to honestly evaluate subordinates and provide constructive, actionable feedback.
\nMost employees wanted to improve, and they were open to useful feedback. Some, unfortunately, resisted.
\nThis was frustrating to me because I had taken the time to build rapport with them. I always pointed out their good qualities and successes at work. In short, I developed trust with them. Yet they refused to own their mistakes or change behavior.
\nStriving for mediocrity
\nI watched a fair number of bright and promising employees repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot, thereby killing their prospects for broader career development and promotion.
\n\u201cNo one gets ahead by striving for mediocrity.\u201d\u2015 Glenn C. Stewart
\nIt was frustrating to see employees with great potential who succumbed to mediocrity and the path of least resistance. Sometimes they were lazy. Other times, they became invested in a perceived wrong. Whatever the reason, they consistently fell short.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no judgment here, just disappointment that I was unable to help these employees. Heck, I\u2019ve made some of the same mistakes in my career, but eventually changed course.
\nHere are some of the mistakes you want to avoid at work.
\nInconsistency
\nYou\u2019ve probably heard or read the advice, \u201cUnderpromise and overdeliver.\u201d Sounds reasonable, but according to research, it\u2019s not very good advice.
\nPeople value others who deliver on their promises but don\u2019t care that much if they over-deliver on their promises. An article in Eurekalert.com used the following example:
\n\u201cIf you are sending Mother\u2019s Day flowers to your mom this weekend, chances are you opted for guaranteed delivery: the promise that they will arrive by a certain time. Should the flowers not arrive on time, you will likely feel betrayed by the sender for breaking their promise. But if they arrive earlier, you likely will be no happier than if they arrive on time, according to new research.\u201d
\nI don\u2019t see much harm in overdelivering on promises, but what\u2019s most important is CONSISTENCY in meeting your promises. Employees who can be counted on to consistently follow through on assignments are golden.<\/p>\n
In my career, there were always a handful of employees who became indispensable, go-to people because they consistently followed through on assignments.
\nOther employees sporadically achieved great things, but they were inconsistent. If you want to stand out at work and not shoot yourself in the foot, worry less about being an occasional superstar and focus more on consistently doing good work.
\nEmotional immaturity
\nI could write a book about this one. Emotionally immature employees take things personally, often play the martyr, and fail to take responsibility for their actions.
\nSuch individuals cannot work around their feelings to achieve positive outcomes. They expend more energy resisting or fighting things they don\u2019t want to do or disagree with, rather than getting their work done.
\nI recall one employee who worked very hard at finding loopholes in our minimum standards of performance. He often did the least work possible and blamed others for his low productivity. The effort he put into resisting work was far more than simply doing his job. Needless to say, he was eventually fired.
\n\u201cMaturity: Be able to stick with a job until it is finished. Be able to bear an injustice without having to get even. Be able to carry money without spending it. Do your duty without being supervised.\u201d -Ann Landers
\nFocus on doing an honest day\u2019s work for a day\u2019s pay. Don\u2019t shoot yourself in the foot by letting your emotions get the best of you.
\nNegativity
\nThere will always be things in life to complain about. No doubt, you know people in your work who grumble endlessly about everything. Ask yourself, how much fun are they to be around?<\/p>\n
Better to be the little train that could than the negative one who quit.
\nSuccessful, well-adjusted people don\u2019t waste energy on negativity. They work around setbacks and obstacles. They don\u2019t quit. They focus on the goal, not the challenges.
\n\u201cSee if you can catch yourself complaining, in either speech or thought, about a situation you find yourself in, what other people do or say, your surroundings, your life situation, even the weather. To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.\u201d
\n\u2015 Eckhart Tolle, \u201cThe Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment\u201d
\nDon\u2019t be one of those negative souls at work, bringing everyone down. You\u2019ll only shoot yourself in the foot. Optimism can be a force multiplier, whereas negativity can become a cancer at work.
\nGossip
\nPeople love to talk about other people, especially when it\u2019s negative. They\u2019ll even do it via text messages.<\/p>\n
I knew a young banker named Wayne who shared the following story. He was at work when his boss arrived, a bit late. Wayne received a text from a co-worker, speculating that their boss had \u201ctied one on again,\u201d the night before.
\nWayne\u2019s boss had a problem with alcohol, and everyone knew it. Wayne texted back to his co-worker, stating, \u201cYep, the boss is late for work again. I\u2019ll bet she\u2019s still drunk.\u201d
\nUnfortunately for Wayne, he accidentally used a group text in his response. Not long after, his boss called Wayne into her office. Wayne was mortified. He felt terrible.
\nWayne felt even worse when his boss apologized for being a poor example and admitted that she was struggling with her alcohol addiction.
\n\u201cGreat minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.\u201d -Eleanor Roosevelt
\nWho are we to talk about others behind their backs? Do we think we are superior to them? Is it fair to judge, when we know little about their backgrounds, circumstances, and struggles?
\nIf you want to shoot yourself in the foot at work, gossip about other people. It won\u2019t take long before others and even your supervisor will figure out that you\u2019re a gossip. And then they\u2019ll think less of you.
\nImpatience
\nWe live in an instant gratification world. As a result, we\u2019ve become more impatient.
\n\ufffc<\/p>\n
We can order food and have it immediately delivered to our home. With a few clicks and swipes on our phones, we can purchase goods and have them delivered, or hail a ride to take us anywhere we want.
\nTechnology has made our lives easier and brought many conveniences. As a result, we forget that most things of value in life take time to achieve.
\nIf you want an athletic body and six-pack abs, it\u2019s not going to happen overnight. It will take many months of regular training and an improved diet.
\nIf you want to make more money, you\u2019ll have to invest time and energy in developing rare and valuable skills. That means furthering your education, practicing, and applying your new abilities in ways that get you noticed. All of which takes time and sacrifice.
\n\u201cA certain amount of impatience may be useful to stimulate and motivate us to action. However, I believe that a lack of patience is a major cause of the difficulties and unhappiness in the world today.\u201d -Joseph B. Wirthlin
\nImpatient employees shoot themselves in the foot because they\u2019re not willing to put in the time and make the sacrifices necessary to grow. Developing patience within yourself will serve you well, in dealing with other people and learning new skills.
\nAll we have is our character
\nThere are many other mistakes you can make at work, like dishonesty, backstabbing, etc. In the end, all we have is our character. Our reputations hinge on our work ethic and how we treat others.
\nDon\u2019t shoot yourself in the foot with inconsistency, emotional immaturity, negativity, gossip, and impatience.
\nEmbracing hard work, decency, and virtue will take you far in the workplace, and other areas of your life. Best of all, you\u2019ll become a role model for others, which is how we make the world a better place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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