Getting ahead at work requires making a positive impression on your coworkers and leaders, particularly in the field of healthcare. But if you’re doing these ten things, you could be impeding your own success and hurting the overall efficiency of office or facility—without even realizing it. And that definitely won’t help you get ahead.
To build a better reputation and be successful at work, avoid these 10 bad habits.
Being disruptive.
You don’t want to be the loud one in your office or healthcare facility. It’s disrespectful, it distracts patients and physicians, and it can hurt your overall reputation.
Heating up fish filets in the microwave.
Or any other kind of smelly lunch. It’s not good to be the one who always brings stinky food, especially if the smell leaks out of the break room and into the waiting or exam rooms. Leave the onion garlic tuna sandwich at home.
Showing up late.
Healthcare staff must be reliable in order to provide positive patient care. Showing up late will hurt your office’s efficiency and patient experience, and it will make your coworkers think you’re unreliable and lazy. Arrive on time—or be an achiever and arrive early.
Printing non-work documents in the office.
It’s tempting to use the work printer for personal purposes, particularly if you don’t have access to one at home. But healthcare facilities and offices are busy places. What happens when something distracts you from grabbing the printout, and your whole office sees your pay statement or tax return?
Ignoring emails and other correspondences.
No matter how busy you are, it’s important to acknowledge coworkers who reach out to you. Even if you don’t have the information they need, you can at least take a few moments to show that you read and received their correspondence. You don’t want to be known as the person who never answers back—that denotes unreliability. Plus, important patient and operational information can come through email.
Showing up late to a meeting.
This is disrespectful to the meeting planner and to everyone in the meeting. 10:00 AM doesn’t mean 10:05, and it definitely doesn’t mean 10:15. Everyone’s time is precious—don’t insult your coworkers by not valuing theirs.
Allowing your meeting to run late.
If you’re planning a meeting, it’s also disrespectful of your coworkers’ time to let the meeting run late. Schedules are sacred. Plan your meeting so that it’s completed within the designated time, or allot more time in the initial request.
Not creating an agenda for your meeting.
When you’re preparing for a meeting, you should go through everything that needs to be accomplished and make a brief agenda. Include the meeting goals. Afterward, you should type up a summary of the meeting and pull out actionable items. Send this to everyone via email.
Ignoring a meeting request.
You probably can’t say yes to every meeting request, but you need to respond no matter what. If it’s a “yes,” that’s pretty easy. If it’s a “No” or a “Maybe,” answer accordingly and provide a brief explanation as to why.
Scheduling a meeting at a bad time.
These times include the end of the day and during lunch. Your co-workers most likely won’t want to attend a meeting at either of these times, and it’s disrespectful to ignore their scheduling needs.
If you’ve done any of these, don’t get discouraged—most people have. But it’s important to become aware of your actions and how they affect others. Being respectful in your office will go a long way toward making you successful. Consider that the next time you swagger in late, disturbing patients and holding a tuna sandwich in your hand.