Workplace Training: Don’t Sabotage Yourself at Work!

While we primarily deal in Human Resources and Pre-Employment, we also want to offer training and education to workers of all stripes! Today we will be focused on anyone feeling like they are in a rut. Sometimes the job itself may have you down, but in many cases we sabotage ourselves without even knowing it. Take an objective look at these behaviors and you might just have a change of outlook!

Sabotage #1: Fearing failure can lead to taking fewer risks.
This can be as broad as an employee being unwilling to try something new, or a sales rep in a slump who just doesn’t want to hear “no” one more time so they don’t make the effort. In any case the end result is always the same: SABOTAGE. So long as there isn’t a risk of physical injury or destroying your livelihood, most workplace “risks” aren’t actually all that risky. So to the sales guy who just doesn’t want to hear someone tell him no: take a few deep breaths, remember what happens when someone says “yes,” and go out on a limb. You’ve got this!

Sabotage #2: Resisting Change.
We’ve all seen this happen. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a new office building or a new type of post-it note there will always be at least one person who insists the old one was better. But in today’s world, disruption is seen as the key to business success. Some workers think things shouldn’t be fixed if they aren’t broken, but this mentality will always lead to the same thing: SABOTAGE. How can anything improve if it isn’t changed? There is no such thing as stagnant improvement. So embrace the change, friends! The world around you is doing it, so why not ride the tide and be better for it?

Sabotage #3: Gossip.
Does this one really need an explanation? It always ends up as SABOTAGE. It’s human nature to want to divulge inside information, but does it need to be at the expense of the other? Instead of scratching that itch, try having conversations about ideas rather than people.

Sabotage #4: Personal Social Media.
Facebook can be the ultimate time-waster in the workplace, but it can also clue your employer into who they have on their staff. For example: calling in sick and then spending the day posting pictures of your night on the town can be a good indicator that your “illness” may have been self-inflicted. There are also plenty of cases of bullying, harassment, or disparaging remarks through social media that can impact company image or intimidate coworkers. If you’re abusing the social media privilege you could find yourself as an example of SABOTAGE!

Sabotage #5: Complaining.
COMPLAINING IS SABOTAGE. It accomplishes nothing. It shows you are focusing your time on criticizing rather than improving. It damages your reputation. It brings down others. It shows that you dwell on the negative and that will hinder your progress. To top it all off, there is typically a correlation between the biggest complainers and the ones who do the least amount of work! Take notice of how many times you have a negative comment to make about your work in a day, and instead try to name something you enjoy. Positivity is a practiced habit, but the more you do it the better you will feel.

Sabotage #6: Procrastination.
We all have our least favorite tasks. The best way to SABOTAGE yourself is to put those tasks off later and later. By front-loading your least favorite tasks in your day, you free up the rest of the day to do the ones you enjoy, and you free up your mind knowing that the worst of it is behind you.

We hope this one wasn’t too brutal! But sometimes a quick jolt can change everything. Shifting your attitude at work can revitalize you as an employee, strengthen you as a leader, make you more affable as a coworker, and position you as an asset! Don’t let your habits get in the way of how high you can fly.