Mistakes You Should Never Make at Work

At Esquire Recruiting LLC, we understand that perfection is not a realistic expectation of an employee. Mistakes will undoubtedly be made, and any professional will encounter failure at some point in their career, and probably more than once. However, keep reading to find out certain mistakes that you must avoid at all costs!

  • Betrayal: Causing an employer to feel betrayed is a feeling that you must make sure does not occur during your time spent working for a firm. In the past, we’ve introduced you to articles explaining how to leave your position appropriately, how to decline a counter offer, and how to suggest a change at work in an effective manner. Check out those articles to learn how to approach a situation that may entice conflict in a polite, professional manner.
    • Some examples of situations that may elicit feelings of betrayal: Leaving your position without a two-week or proper notice, hiding from supervisors to avoid confronting failure, or offering an idea to a supervisor that was developed by a coworker other than yourself.
  • Backstabbing: Building off of our point on betrayal is the importance of never backstabbing another employee to help yourself get ahead. Mistakes of this sort will land you on the “bad side” of your coworkers, and often cause your manager to question your team loyalty.
  • Taking Credit Without Ownership: Remember, success is almost always the result of effective and productive teamwork and cohesion amongst all employees. For that reason, make sure to always give credit where it is due, and not to accept all of the success as your own. Doing so may, again, have the potential worse effect of causing you to stand out as someone who is not a team player.
  • Boasting and Bragging: We promise you that if your work stands out and your effort is apparent, people will notice your successes! There is no reason to boast about your accomplishments to others. Doing so often comes across as an effort to make others feel inferior.
  • Speaking Behind Others Backs: A result of spending eight hours a day among the same people may, at times, cause frustration or irritation. However, gossiping about your coworkers, supervisors, or CEO’s will almost always land you in hot water! We encourage you to take out your feelings in a more healthy manner, possibly by exercising, listening to music, taking a walk during your lunch break to excuse yourself from the environment, or even relaxing with a glass of wine once the day is over.
  • Lying:  One overarching reason why lies are provoked at work is by a fear of failure. However, lying about your progress, results, or struggles will guarantee you to encounter greater failure than you would have if you had just confronted the situation head-on. Managers are taught how to deal with failure for a reason, and as you express your need for help you should be met with support and constructive criticism. No need to beat around the bush!

To emphasize this once more, mistakes are completely acceptable! It is when they are caused by a lack of honesty, loyalty, and integrity that they become detrimental to the way you are viewed and your performance as a team member and employee. By avoiding these damaging mistakes you will become a successful team member and valuable employee to any organization.

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list!

Read here to learn how to leave your position the right way!