With employees spending more time in the workplace than ever before, functioning with co-workers has become essential. It’s easy to find some annoyances when spending so much time with a group of people, but what if you’re doing something that’s secretly turning your teammates against you?
Self-assessment is a crucial part of maintaining your personal brand. You may not be the office gossip, but your constant dodging of team activities might be driving your co-workers crazy. Understanding what you’re doing and where you can improve has many benefits. Aside from a happier work environment for those who have to spend their days with you, it also contributes to increased efficiency and effectiveness at your company.
Do your personal brand, co-workers, and your company a favor and avoid these eight annoying branding moves:
1. You’re a self-promoter. Is it all about you all the time? If so, your co-workers and managers are certain to notice. When the only information you have to share at work revolves around your personal successes or input into projects, expect a few eye rolls. It’s important to go above and beyond in every aspect of your position within the company, but remaining humble is key to gaining respect. Learn to honor and reward the acts of others, and spend more time learning about the personal branding success of your co-workers.
2. You exude negativity. If there’s a black cloud following you wherever you go, it’s time to make a few adjustments. Critical feedback has an important place in the work environment, but constant complaining and negativity is exhausting. Your negativity is likely to follow you throughout your career and tarnish your personal brand. Take steps toward viewing the glass as half full and your co-workers will be certain to thank you.
3. You avoid teamwork. Lacking the ability to be a team player can cause issues in many different parts of your career. Not only will your co-workers begin to dislike you, you’re likely to end up losing your job. Repeatedly dodging out on your set contributions to projects doesn’t go unnoticed. And even if you’re doing what you’re asked of as a team member, you should still be helping your co-workers whenever they ask. Lending a hand doesn’t just help a co-worker, it benefits the entire company.
4. You’re an inconsistent communicator. One day you’re chatting up the whole office, the next you can hardly look a co-worker in the eye. Sometimes you’re quick to jump on tasks, while other times you sit quiet and complacently in meetings. Everyone has their off days, but consistency is important when it comes to communication in the workplace, and in your personal brand. Finding a happy medium and stick with it.
5. You only focus on your personal agenda. Building your career off of your personal brand has some amazing benefits. When you’re focused on maintaining your brand, distractions are likely to come up when you’re working for a company. Whether your personal agenda happens to be getting a promotion or rubbing elbows with executives to solidify a speaking engagement, your co-workers are likely to notice. Handle your personal agenda tactfully in the workplace, as to not rub your co-workers the wrong way.
Maintaining positive relationships with co-workers is beneficial to your career. Evaluate your day-to-day actions to find out whether it’s time to rebrand your workplace habits.
