This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

These Are The 4 Work Habits That Drive Your Boss Crazy

Are you guilty of them?
Prone to chucking sickies? Don't expect your boss to be impressed.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Prone to chucking sickies? Don't expect your boss to be impressed.

It may not actually be part of your job description, but there's no doubt staying on your boss's good side can be helpful when it comes to advancing your career.

And while no one wants to be a suck up, there are some work habits more likely to get on people's nerves than others.

So if you want to stay out of your boss's bad books, people-management specialist Karen Gately recommends avoiding these four key behaviours.

1. Failing to take ownership

"I think the first one is not taking ownership of your work," Gately told HuffPost Australia. "So not actually owning the outcome.

"I think an employee who constantly brings problems to [their superior's] desk and brings the problem to them, instead of coming to them with some solutions and ideas about how it could be solved... that's not a great habit to fall into.

"What it shows is you're not thinking for yourself, and you're too quickly going 'I don't have the right resources and I don't have what I need to have the job done' and wanting to palm the problem off to somebody else.

"You're not applying your experience and thinking skills to actually work the issue out yourself, and if this is a behaviour that's employed often, it's not a very attractive trait in a professional sense."

Getty

2. Whingeing all the time

Of course, an employee is entitled to voice any concerns they have about the workplace to their manager. But Gately said there is a difference between identifying a professional issue and having a good old whinge.

"Investing too much energy and focus about things that don't matter, and whingeing and complaining about small issues that really, with a bit more emotional resilience might not bother you so much, that would be the second item on my list," she said.

"I think the whole 'toughen up' thought goes through many manager's minds a lot, especially when people are too quick to complain about the conditions or challenges or people around them.

"I don't think anyone appreciates a 'poor me' drama because of everyday challenges. Similarly it can be frustrating when people expect the support of a lot of people to get their own job done.

"By that I mean an attitude of 'Poor me, no one is supporting me to be successful', instead of making certain outcomes happen yourself."

You may be smiling now, but chucking a sickie won't do you any favours at work.
gruizza via Getty Images
You may be smiling now, but chucking a sickie won't do you any favours at work.

3. Unreliability

"Being unreliable is a classic one, and something I hear all the time," Gately said.

"The classic 'taking sickies' and the rest of it."

4. Compliant contribution

"Compliant contribution is when people do enough to keep their job and to get by but they're not investing a lot of energy and commitment and drive to create their own success," Gately said.

"For example, if someone were to say something like 'in the 10 years I've been here, I've never once been given an opportunity.' To that I say, 'are you referring to the opportunities you were hoping you boss would see for you, or the opportunities you put your hand up for but weren't allowed to pursue?' Because one is very different to the other.

"If you are sitting there for 11 years waiting for your boss to hand you an opportunity, you're missing the point. What have you asked for? What have you demonstrated you are ready for?

"I think particularly in the [millennial age] there can be a sense of entitlement, where people fail to earn the steps they want to take. Or they see time as the measure of their readiness as opposed to their capabilities and experience gained."

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.