10 bad habits that prevent you from looking professional

These rules are simple and understandable as twice two. Moreover, they increase your credibility. Why are so many people ignoring them?

Imagine such a picture. Last winter I had a chance to attend an event to strengthen business ties. It was cold outside, but the room was warm. Most of us were “burdened” with winter coats and heavy bags. I talked in the company of several people when our social chatter was interrupted by the kind offer of the guy who approached us:

“Damn, you guys are carrying a ton of shit on you,” he said. "You know what ... you can deposit all your shit in the locker room for free."
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Boom! Seriously tarnished reputation. I understand that he tried to help us, but none of us appreciated his good intentions after such a greeting.

And the point is not that he was a mother; Nowadays, most of us have a very high "immunity to battle." The fact is that three of the 23 words he uttered were curses (provided that you consider the word “devil” to be such). This is a manifestation of laziness, unwillingness to bother to choose the best description for all that was in our hands. Instead, he used Spartan language from the barnyard, which made him frivolous and unprofessional in our eyes.

(Since I am sure that one of you will want to ask how he should have called all that was with us, here are a few options: coats, bags, laptops, things, purses, briefcases, jackets, bags, cargo, luggage Carrying, luggage - yes, call my bag a purse, if you like, it can at least be regarded as an attempt to joke).

The truth is that no one is perfect. We are all prone to semi-unconscious chatter that does not play into our hands. That is why each of us sometimes needs to be reminded what to do and what not to do. Below are 10 examples of how to avoid unprofessional behavior.

1. Lazy scolding

OK, this time in the top of our list. Again, this is not the most profanity, although it will rarely be a good helper for you. The point is laziness. If someone uses the word “horseradish” as a universal adjective, then inadvertently you begin to think about the laziness and lack of imagination of these people in all their endeavors.

2. late

I admit that I myself have to fight this phenomenon. This is a trend, I had to work hard to “take care of” this infection in my life. The phrase “Standard Time Murphy” (Paul Murphy, author of the article - approx. Translator) will not be met with bewildered looks from some of my friends and relatives. However, I discovered for myself that punctuality is a manifestation of respect. If you made an appointment, come on time, and by this you show that you are professional enough to follow your word.

3. "Eyes out of place"

We are all humans. And nothing earthly is alien to us. We notice attractive people of the gender to which we are biologically predisposed to feed interest. And yet, as civilized people, we must have enough self-control to, figuratively speaking, keep “wandering” views under control. Otherwise, my friend, you will look terribly unprofessional.

4. Optimism over the edge

Surely many of you are familiar with the story of Elinor Porter " Pollyanna ". So, it always seemed to me that the glorified blooming optimism of the main character implies the presence of a surplus of unreal optimism. If you do not understand what it is about, read its description. And if, after a complete failure, colleagues or partners assure you that everything is in perfect order, then this is a blatant lack of professionalism.

5. Wind in the head

If the wind is walking in your head, then the main symptoms of this malady will be inconstancy and irresponsibility. Agreed to meet with someone or promised to do something and did not do it? Sorry, but you are irresponsible.

6. Disorganization

(Probably everyone who receives more than 1000 emails per day falls into this category). Most of those who are engaged in business, understand that customers expect a quick response. They want you to be ready to offer a solution for their difficult situation. If you are not able to deal with your own situation, then how can you deal with the issues of your clients?

7. Tongues

It seems to be obvious, right? But, nevertheless, many people do not understand this. And it kind of makes them look somehow not professional, because they, as it were, cannot get to the essence of what they want to say, and somehow make it understandable and all that.

I would also add a bad grammar here, but I also want to emphasize: we all know smart professionals of people whose speech just let them down, betrayingly betraying holes in their schooling. Or those for whom our language is not native. (No, well, honestly, this column would be funny if I wrote it in French or Spanish, which, unfortunately, I cannot boast with an ideal knowledge of grammar.)

8. Subtlety

Of course, we all have a private life, but in fact, most of the time, our business does not intersect with it, and this is not the case. If you are hiding important information from employees or customers, you are not doing anything good for your reputation as a leader, and perhaps make them doubt that they can trust you.

9. Too many promises.

One day, a wonderful employee, a sales specialist, told me that her sales skill was to “promise the maximum in what you can accomplish.” Entrepreneurs often overestimate their capabilities. And so the main thing is to be sure that ultimately your promises will not turn out to be a hollow sound.

10. Scam and lie

It is obvious. President George W. Bush once tried to say: “Deceive me once - shame on you. Deceive me twice - shame on me. "