The first few weeks on a new job are a time to impress, but as the weeks and months pass by, it’s easy to get a little lax. Soon, personal productivity is down and you spend more time on Facebook than you spend preparing your weekly reports. If you’ve noticed your quality of work has been slipping – or if your boss has noticed – these common mistakes could be the reason why.
You’re Not Responding to Emails
Everyone with an email address gets too many emails. It’s often difficult to keep up. But failing to return emails can cause rifts with your co-workers, can make you seem like you’re dropping the ball, and just plain ticks people off. Even if you can’t address the issue raised in an email, reply quickly and let the sender know you received it.
You Show Up Late
You may not think that showing up five minutes late for work or arriving at a meeting after it’s already started is a big deal. And if it happens once or twice, it’s not a big deal. However, if you are habitually late – even by a few minutes – you’re sending a message you think your time is more important than everyone else’s and that you aren’t taking things seriously. Do whatever it takes to show up to work at least ten minutes before your start time and be in your seat for a meeting a minute or two before it is scheduled to begin.
You Resist Change
Change is a fact of life; you can expect to experience changes in staff, leadership, procedures, software programs, etc. If you are always resisting change, you won’t be seen as a team player. Even worse, if you try and sway co-workers to resist, you could be labeled a troublemaker. When you are presented with something new, try to see it in a positive way and don’t be afraid to ask questions of management to help you understand why a change is being implemented. Understanding those “whys” can help you embrace the change.
You Spend Time On Social Media
People notice how often their Facebook friends are posting and commenting. They also notice the time(s) of day. Even if your boss never catches you in the act, co-workers who follow you on social media are probably noting just how much time you spend online. If you’re late getting them something they need but you’ve had time to like cat videos or post pictures of your Post-it note origami collection, they won’t be happy. You run the risk of someone notifying your boss, which could spell trouble.
Is It Time for a Change?
If you find yourself making mistakes like these, you might benefit from asking yourself why you’ve checked out. If the answer is you don’t like your job, you’re in a bad situation or you aren’t being challenged, it might be time to make a change.
