You are a sweet person, but your work attitude is terrible! (Part 3 – Little things matter)

Your attitude at work helps to craft your reputation and, as we mentioned before, a good work attitude goes beyond being a pleasant, smiling person. Sometimes it’s the things that appear insignificant that can deal a terrible blow to your career. Here are a few that could be wrecking your career.

Time Stealers

If you are the kind of employee who barely makes it into work on time, or you have excuses for why you are late, your work attitude is suffering. Your tardiness, no matter what the reason, is wearing out the patience of your co-workers, who are left to pick up the slack when you are not on time. The same applies if you take a few extra minutes for lunch, or if you are the first one out the door at the end of the day. There are some people who habitually shave time off their workday at every moment and expect that no one will notice or find fault with such behaviour. Give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.

Complainers

There are some people who just never have anything good to say. They constantly complain about the boss, the customers, their co-workers and even the phone, if it rings. They seem bothered by everything except when it’s time to collect the pay cheque. The workplace is not the place to gripe. Good jobs are difficult to find, so when you have one, count your blessings. Your complaining attitude makes it nearly impossible for you to be promoted.

Rigid People

In order to stay relevant, profitable and meet their goals, all organizations must change. Unfortunately, when the word “change” is mentioned, too many people panic. This is especially true if an employee spends years being the only one who knows how to perform a particular job. They have developed a reputation for being good, and some even use this status to bully others around. The job and the responsibilities give them a sense of importance and relevance to society. People fear change when they are concerned they might lose their jobs, lose the status they have in a business, or are asked to go outside their comfort zone to learn something new. This resistance to change is also a reflection of your attitude, regardless of the reason. Instead of being afraid, carefully examine what is being asked of you and devise a plan to manage the change process. 

As we wrap up this series on work attitude, take a moment to reflect on the quote below by Charles Swindoll. It is part of a poem that every worker should take a moment to meditate on.

Charles R. Swindoll