下面的5个方面，你占了几个？1. Sucking up to the boss 拍老板马屁 2. Negativity 太消极，牢骚多 3. Messiness 不爱整洁 4. Poor cubicle etiquette 缺乏办公室礼仪，如大声嚷嚷
1. Sucking up to the boss
The boss's pet who ingratiates himself at the expense of his co-workers incites
negative judgments, says Meredith Haberfeld, a New York-based executive and career
coach.
For example, Ms. Haberfeld consulted for a human-resources company where a junior
employee pointed out his co-workers' mistakes after errors had been made.
"He created ill will with his colleagues because he didn't ever go to them to
provide any insights while he saw the ship sinking," Ms. Haberfeld says. "Nobody
wanted to work with him."
Trying to take work from your colleagues, or take too much credit, are also bad
moves.
"These people are seen as overly self-interested and therefore untrustworthy and
difficult to work with," Ms. Haberfeld says. "At a certain point, to go further in
your career you need to not just be liked by your boss, you need support from your
peers and people more junior."
2. Negativity
The occasional bit of gossip can relieve stress. Too much can make you look bad.
"Sometimes it's fun to talk about the boss, but the person who is always complaining
is widely disliked as well," Mr. Purdy says. "Toxic negativity makes people feel
like you are not a good co-worker. People associate negativity with you."
According to a 2011 Monster.com survey, respondents reported that among their co-
workers' impolite behaviors, gossiping "ticked them off," along with texting during
meetings, being too loud and leaving a mess.
Employees also are judged when they interrupt colleagues, or ignore or discount
others' ideas, says Peter Post, author and great-grandson of etiquette expert Emily
Post.
"Those are the kinds of things that people remember for a long time. You are really
attacking the person and belittling them," Mr. Post says. "They see you as a bully,
and don't want to interact with you."
Complaining about "inappropriate" behavior that is, at worst, slightly off is also a
problem. "It feels really condescending," says Art Papas, founder of TheFit.com, a
website where workers complete anonymous surveys about companies' cultures. "Just
because you're offended that doesn't mean you have to broadcast it."
3. Messiness
Messiness, particularly in communal areas and shared workspaces, can breed negative
judgments.
"Food that's left to become some sort of other thing in the refrigerator is really
frustrating," says Mr. Post.
According to a recent survey from staffing and consulting firm Adecco, a majority of
respondents said people are most productive when their workspace is clean, though
some view messiness as a sign of being busy, and others see it as an indication of
laziness.
4. Poor cubicle etiquette
In offices with few doors and lots of cubicles, etiquette with regard to odors and
noise is important.
Microwaving last night's fish dinner for lunch in your cubicle today is a no-no. And
your co-workers can sense if you didn't clean up after bicycling to the office.
But a loud talker may be the top offender. "If you need to concentrate and somebody
is yapping, it can affect your work," says Margaret Fiester, operations manager for
the human-resources knowledge center at the Society for Human Resource Management.
5. Not fitting in
It's important to fit into an office culture. That can include how you dress, and
what you say.
"I was in a meeting the other day and somebody dropped the S-bomb. The third time
they did it, it became unprofessional," Mr. Papas says.
There's also a code of conduct for email. "Maybe someone is overly brusque, or is
always putting urgent or cc'ing everything," Mr. Purdy says. "Bcc is almost always a
dangerous idea.
"Transparency is important—it prevents you from seeming sneaky. If you are bcc'ing
someone to get someone else in trouble, you are being the office jerk." |
