The work place is usually that one place where our minds are tasked to their limits. It is the one place where we are most proactive and sometimes most careless. Sometimes it’s easy to forget for a minute where you are and start to act or behave unprofessionally, this sometimes becomes a lifestyle if we are not cautious of what we may be doing wrong. A lot of organizations condone certain behaviors due to certain reasons such as the position of the offender or the level of intelligence and productiveness of the offender. This doesn’t make it a great work habit. Some of these habits are not necessarily offensive to anyone but are simply unhealthy, health-wise, and so should be checked.
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Piling up lots of files on the desk
This is one crime every worker has been guilty of one time at least. Having lots of files lying on your desk does make you look busy, no doubt, but also makes you look disorganized and unprofessional. It’s always nice to have a bare desk showing off that exquisite polished wood design.
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Sitting all day while working
As fun as it is to have a soft executive leather seat which gives you that CEO feeling, it’s not the best work habit and this is why. Our body continually conducts metabolism and this is responsible for the release of energy through effective circulation. Sitting down for a long period of time cuts off this circulations and lead to the production of lactic acid which results to back pains, joint pains and the likes. It also builds fatigue easily. The best way to stay agile and healthy is to take little breaks from seating, move around the room or office, stretch and allow your bodies regulate its circulations. This will keep you rejuvenated and proactive all through the day.
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Lengthy personal calls
This scene is usually popular in Hollywood movies where a character is in a hurry to get information from customer service personnel who is on a personal call and keeps them waiting for a long time with giggles and a reluctant expression on the face of the customer service personnel. This is another way of publicly showcasing bad habits at work. No client should have to sit and wait for you to finish a personal call. That is completely unprofessional and should have consequences. The right thing to do would be to suspend any personal call when a customer arrives. This show priority and is the most professional thing to do.
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Pranks in the office
Now we all watch a lot of movies where people get pranked in the office and sometimes it’s just a little harmless prank but sometimes the pranks go a little extreme and leads to a few unfortunate incidents. It’s so hilarious on screen, yes, but that’s where it should remain…. On screen. A corporate organization or a very organized system should not allow pranking of any level as this does not speak well to the public. It also sends out a sign of an unserious atmosphere which is a dent on the reputation of the company, and of course pranks can go bad leading to a serious issue. Pranking a staff or a customer is definitely a no-no.
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Sleeping during office hours
A well planned day would allow you manage your day and also get plenty rest and sleep at the end of the day in order to stay active during office hours. Sleeping during office hours doesn’t set a good example for colleagues or junior officers. The best way to make sure that this is checked is to recheck your daily schedule, restructure all nightly activities and move them to the weekends when you don’t have to be at work the next day. This would give you enough shut-eye time and ensure you are well rested before work hours.
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Eating in the office
It is needless to say that this isn’t very appealing in the eyes. Imagine talking to a colleague who has his coffee sitting right next to your laptop and his crackers have an exceptionally annoying sound and have created quite a mess of crumbs all over the desk. This might be tolerable for the first few days but you know that this cannot continue. The best thing to do is to find an empty room where eating is allow, have a snack and safely dispose containers.
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Multitasking while having a snack
This is even worse than the previous. Its can lead to accidental spillage and is simple an eye sore. This definitely doesn’t look professional.
Good habits are easy to maintain and give a good impression in the work place. It’s always necessary to cultivate good working habits and culture as this can aid personal development.