How to Lose Friends & Coworkers in the Work Place

 

There are some sure-fire ways to antagonize your co-workers and colleagues and you likely know one or two people you’d prefer not to work with.

It’s always good to evaluate our behavior at work to confirm we’re not making our co-worker’s lives more difficult. And if you are new to a workplace ensure that the following behaviors do not become part of your routine.

Be late for meetings. Your colleagues value their time and don’t want to spend any additional time in meetings. So, avoid tardiness so you don’t develop the habit of being the one person everyone is constantly waiting for.

Have a negative attitude. No one wants to work with a person who sees the negative in everything, always knows why every project will fail, or believes the company is going bankrupt. A negative attitude will make it difficult to advance in your career.

Fail to meet deadlines. When you have coworkers depending on you to complete a project you need to … complete the project. On time. Few failures will alienate you faster at work than failing to deliver on your promises and projects. You’ll soon wonder why key assignments are not coming your way.

Communicate poorly. Success at work and on the job requires the ability to communicate clearly and well with colleagues and clients, both in person and in writing. It can be incredibly frustrating to deal with a co-worker who struggles to effectively communicate and can slow down work on projects.

Gossip about your co-workers. When you’re told something in confidence, whether from a co-worker, or some insider company info, it’s important to be able to hold that information privately, rather than sharing it with others or spreading gossip. Developing a reputation as a gossip is a sure-fire way to sabotage your career and prevent opportunities for advancement.

There are many other ways to alienate your co-workers—leaving a mess in co-working spaces, heating up that salmon leftover in the microwave in your kitchenette, or clipping toe nails at your desk—but you're probably savvy enough to figure those out on your own.