16 Common Behaviors That Can Make You a Bad Coworker Without Realizing It

Work is hard for all of us, but it’s even more challenging when we have no one in our corner. Being a supportive colleague is more than just giving advice; it helps maintain a positive work environment and boosts growth. However, if you feel like you’re not holding up your end of the bargain, you might want to take a look at these habits.

You Gossip Too Much

While nobody likes a dull working space, gossiping all the time disrupts the environment. It makes it challenging for people to actually work and contributes to workplace rumors, which can harm many people. If you’re gossiping all the time, even about things that don’t concern you, it’s time to dial it back.

You Act Like A Know-It-All

We’ve all got different skills and experience, but if you’re constantly hogging the workplace, trying to take on tasks beyond your responsibilities, and actively bragging about your experience, you’re putting down your colleagues. While we all need a helping hand occasionally, it can be insulting when someone is constantly trying to outsmart you.

You Take Credit

One of the most unprofessional and disrespectful habits is taking credit for something you collaborated on or worked on with a team. While it’s natural to be praised for your performance, hogging all the attention or deliberately leaving other participants out of a project is insulting to their efforts and hard work.

You Don’t Help Out

If you’re quick to accept help but rarely return the favor, chances are you’re not being as helpful around the workplace as you can be. Many people refuse to help because they don’t want to be disturbed while working, but if you’re constantly and actively refusing to help a colleague, you’re only being unapproachable.

You Make Everything About Yourself

Many people tend to share the spotlight when they can. They might not realize they’re doing it, but it also doesn’t diminish them taking away the attention from others. If you’re quick to pipe about your contributions to a project that your colleague is being praised for or switch conversations to something about you, you’re being selfish.

You’re Rude

Let’s face it: work doesn’t always go smoothly, so we might end up in a bad mood if something doesn’t go according to plan. While it’s natural to be moody when something like this happens, being passive-aggressive and making snarky remarks all the time is a bad habit that isn’t only unprofessional but brings down the environment.

You Gate-Keep Resources

We take pride in our work, especially if we figured it out ourselves. Occasionally, we might not want to share how we did it, but frequently, gatekeeping resources are unprofessional and unsupportive. You never know how much you could help your colleague; holding out resources is just selfish.

You Blame Others

Nobody likes to take the brunt of a project gone wrong. But if you were equally responsible for the fallout and choose to point fingers instead, you’re setting yourself up for a hostile work environment. It also makes you unlikable; your colleagues will realize you’ll dip at the first sign of trouble, so they’ll be hesitant to work with you.

You’re Too Negative

Being negative all the time, complaining about work, or saying every idea won’t work can bring the whole team down. It makes it harder for people to stay motivated and work together. Everyone has bad days, but trying to stay positive and focus on solving problems makes things better for everyone. A little effort to stay upbeat can really change the mood at work.

You Micromanage

One of the most annoying things at work is a colleague who constantly hovers over your shoulder, peeking at your work and trying to correct it. It’s even worse if that colleague isn’t even a direct supervisor. You might think you’re trying to help a colleague out, but undermining their professional performance isn’t a good look.

You Avoid Accountability

Avoiding accountability or blaming others for your shortcomings is an excellent way to tarnish your professional credibility. You come across as a selfish colleague, and your co-workers may begin to distrust you or even question your reliability. This lack of ownership not only damages relationships but also undermines team spirit and productivity.

You Don’t Celebrate Others’ Successes

How do you react when your co-workers share their success? Do you celebrate it with them, or do you dismiss it? If it’s the latter, then you’re not the supportive colleague you think you are. When you don’t celebrate others’ successes, you not only come across as jealous but also affect the team’s morale. 

You’re Unreliable

A colleague you can’t rely on even in emergencies isn’t worth keeping in the company. If you’re always pushing past deadlines, missing important meetings, catering to personal needs during work hours, and have an unsteady performance, you’re an unreliable employee who might be harming the company.

You Overuse Personal Calls and Chats

Taking personal calls or chatting with friends too often during work hours can disrupt your coworkers and hurt your focus. It might make others feel like you’re not serious about your job or the team’s goals. Try to keep personal conversations short, and step away from your desk when you need to take a call. This way, you show respect for your coworkers and help keep the work environment productive.

You Don’t Respect Boundaries

Everyone has personal and professional boundaries. They might not make sense to us, but they’re still valuable and important to your colleagues. If you interfere in their matters (personal and/or professional), try to interact when specifically asked not to, or do similar things, you’re disrespecting boundaries.

You’re Not Professional

Are you always late? Do you forget tasks until the last minute? Do you frequently ask your work friends to cover for you and rarely return the favor? You might be pushing the professional limits. While we’d all like to have a friendly and comfortable work environment, rules are there for a reason, and constantly breaking them is unprofessional.

More For You

Nobody wants to work under constant scrutiny, especially if it’s your boss who is always watching you or trying to control your work. If you feel you’re being micromanaged at work, here are some signs to watch out for.

This article was first published on the RB ITALIA Blog.