We heard in the news this morning that your co-workers are tired of you forwarding funny emails to them. It wastes their time and most are just not funny…
In the spirit of ensuring you don’t look like an idiot at work, Business Insider has put together a few tips on how (and how NOT) to act…
Don’t act like a know-it-all
Piggybacking with a co-worker’s comment either to outdo, correct, or worse, rephrase the comment and claim it as your original thought, is a sure way to make your coworkers’ eyes roll. Sometimes it’s ok to let others win.
Don’t use emojis in work emails
Studies have found that smiling emoticons in professional emails are perceived as less competent than those who sent the same emails without the smiley face. And that’s just the smiley face. Think of what could happen if you used some of the more ‘spicey’ emojis…
Don’t tell inappropriate jokes
Telling a successful, appropriate joke at work can make you seem more competent. But telling an inappropriate joke can make you seem less competent. HR Directors advise against most jokes because you never know what will land and what won’t.
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice
Research suggests that asking for advice can make you seem more competent; even though the same research says we don’t ask because we don’t want to seem less competent. But when you ask for advice, especially from the boss, it creates a partnership between you and your boss and encourages them to be more supportive of your idea.
Don’t curse at work
In a 2012 CareerBuilder survey, more than half of employers said they would think an employee who swore at the office was less intelligent. Even more said they would be less likely to promote someone who swears at the office.
Don’t submit projects with grammatical mistakes
Grammar and spelling mistakes show carelessness, lack of attention to detail, and that you’re not really putting emphasis and importance on the task. You don’t want your co-workers to think you don’t care…
Don’t try too hard to impress everyone
People overcompensate because they don’t want to look like an idiot…so they try extra hard to impress their co-workers. They might use fancy language — words they don’t understand the meaning of. They ask questions for the sake of asking a question, but they haven’t done their homework.
