Yep, any one of these might get you fired.

By Christopher Post

No matter where you work or who you work with, there’s always the possibility of drama. There isn’t an office on the planet that’s free from workplace politics, cliques, or dreaded rivalries. Sometimes, work seems a lot more like West Side Story and a lot less like The Office.

With such an unpredictable environment, everyone’s bound to make a few mistakes, cross the wrong people, or get sucked into scenes that would make [insert over-the-top reality TV show here] blush. I’m not exempt—I’ve made a number of work errors I wish I could change in retrospect. Here are eight of the biggest ones.

1. I wrote unprofessional emails.

There’s nothing like getting a reply from a boss whose name you misspelled with advice—really, just thinly-veiled derision—about how to write appropriate, professional emails. He told me my tone was too casual, my request was too demanding, and my misspelling of his name was not only disrespectful, it demonstrated an inattention to detail. For shame. No matter who you’re writing, remember that you can’t edit emails after the fact! Read ‘em twice before sending.

2. I always said yes to things without managing expectations.

If the only thing you say at work is a simple yes, you can wind up with a to-do list that’s a mile long. Plus, you’ll get saddled with the annoying garbage tasks the people smarter—or just braver—than you said no to. Instead, before accepting extra tasks, explain where your workload stands. For example, you can try something like, “Sure, I’m happy to do that, but you need to know that I have X, Y, and Z other things on my plate right now. They all take priority, so I won’t be able to get to this until next week.” It’s all about managing up effectively and making sure everyone’s expectations are realistic.

3. I mixed work and sex.

It’s best not to have sex with a colleague, because there’s a good chance the romance will end. And when it does, there’s a good chance it’ll do so poorly. Even if it doesn’t, seeing them around the office day in and day out is awkward for everyone. Contrary to popular belief, most people can’t be adults about that kind of thing. The exception to this rule is if you seriously think you two could have something serious.

This excellent article was originally published here – http://www.self.com/lifestyle/2016/02/the-8-biggest-mistakes-ive-made-at-work/

Advertisement

Single Page Demo

Click on any of the profile photos below to see this page as Amy, Bella, Chloe, David, Eddie or Frank.