12 Behaviors That Ruin Your Professional Image
In the ever-evolving landscape of the professional world, one's image and reputation hold paramount importance. Your professional image can profoundly impact your career trajectory, influencing opportunities, collaborations, and overall success. While honing your skills and qualifications is essential, you should also remember that your behavior plays an equally vital role in shaping how colleagues, superiors, and clients perceive you.
Bad behaviors in professional life mean earning a bad reputation. It will also keep you from getting a promotion or even lead to employment loss.
According to a survey, 74% of survey respondents believe maintaining a professional image online is critical. (Source)
In this article, we delve into the often overlooked aspect of career growth - behaviors that can unintentionally erode your professional image and hinder your advancement. Identifying and rectifying these behaviors can help you reach professional success.
Behaviors that ruin your professional image
If you wish to go a long way with your career, you must steer clear of your habits, phrases, and actions that ruin your professional image. Maintaining professionalism is crucial for individuals to nurture their workplace relationships and seize growth opportunities.
Here are some behaviors that can make you look unprofessional and unworthy of dealing with.
You are often late
Virtually all of us can lose track of our time and get busy occasionally. However, if you are someone who waits until the last minute to get ready and go to your workplace, you are wrong. It is because the practice will make you notoriously late inevitably.
People you work for or with expect you to be punctual for your work, conferences, meetings, etc.
Regardless of the field you are working in, being late notoriously can put stress on your business and workplace relationships.
It will also negatively impact how others think about you as a professional.
Besides, employers generally don't show leniency to employees who ignore the beginning of the work day and the office discipline.
Being often late can make you face unpleasant consequences. At best, you will be labeled irresponsible, untrustworthy, and unreliable. In the worst-case scenario, you can end up losing a job, missing deadlines, losing clients, and even money.
You don't take responsibility
It affects your professional image if you don't take responsibility for your work or whatever you do. Taking responsibility shows your professional maturity. In addition, high commitment coupled with professional achievements may make your employer or team leader consider you a worthy candidate for promotion.
Not taking responsibility can severely impact your professional image, leading to a loss of trust and respect from colleagues, superiors, and clients alike. When you avoid owning up to mistakes or shortcomings, it displays a lack of accountability and integrity, which are fundamental traits in any successful professional. This behavior not only hinders effective teamwork but also shows an unwillingness to learn and grow from experiences, further hindering your career progression.
You have poor communication skills
Communication skills are imperative for maintaining your professional image. Improper communication can cause problems, misunderstandings, and conflicts in the work environment. It will also affect collaboration and project success.
According to research, about 68% of executives and employees believe ineffective communication and collaboration is the key reason behind workplace failure. (Source)
That is why you should practice your communication skills. Here are some effective tips to consider:
Practice active listening.
Always ask for clarification when you are in doubt.
Work on improving written and verbal communication.
Always deliver your message clearly and concisely as per your audience’s needs.
Look for improvement opportunities by seeking feedback from colleagues or clients.
You are always sour-faced
Another important, yet often overlooked, thing to keep in mind is your facial expression and demeanor. Constantly moody, angry, sad, or frequently complaining about things people aren't anyone's favorite.
Having a sour face can detrimentally impact your professional image, sending negative signals to those around you. Nonverbal cues play a crucial role in how others perceive us, and a consistently unhappy or sour expression can be perceived as unapproachable, unfriendly, or disinterested. Thus, colleagues may hesitate to collaborate with you or seek your input, which will hinder effective communication and teamwork. Moreover, a sour demeanor can create an unwelcoming work environment, potentially alienating colleagues and making it challenging to build positive relationships. In contrast, cultivating a pleasant and approachable demeanor can leave a lasting impression of warmth, openness, and professionalism, fostering better rapport with coworkers and enhancing your overall standing in the workplace
Talking sarcastically or angrily isn't something that you should practice frequently. We all have our own lives, and most people deal with many things outside the workplace. Therefore, whenever you are interacting with others, be polite and gentle.
You are impolite
Impolite and disrespectful behavior can damage your personal and professional relationships. It will make others feel like they are working in a hostile environment. In turn, it will affect your career advancement opportunities.
Ensure to practice respect and empathy towards others. Be mindful of your language and tone when communicating.
If you feel disturbed, take a moment to calm down before responding. Apologize and make compensation if you've been impolite
You are unreliable
Being unreliable can significantly damage your professional image and hinder your career advancement. Consistently failing to meet deadlines, fulfill commitments, or follow through on promises showcases a lack of dependability and reliability, eroding the trust others have in your abilities. Colleagues and superiors may be reluctant to assign you important tasks or involve you in critical projects, fearing that your unreliability may lead to setbacks or missed opportunities. Moreover, a reputation for being unreliable can spread quickly within professional circles, potentially impacting your chances of securing new opportunities or promotions. In contrast, building a reputation for reliability and consistency earns you respect and trust, positioning you as a valuable asset within the organization and opening doors to greater responsibilities and career growth.
Regardless of the field you are working in, every employer wants to work with a person they can rely on. So, overcome this behavior and start working towards it right now.
You can begin by making realistic commitments and delivering your assigned tasks timely as per your promises.
Always be honest about the capabilities you have.
Communicate the hurdles you encounter during work openly.
Besides that, you should also focus on improving your time management and organizational skills.
You lie
Using misleading language or lying can also affect your professional image. It will lead you to a loss of credibility and trust. Besides that, when you lie or talk around corners, it will lead to severe consequences.
When caught in a lie or engaging in evasive communication, you will lose your colleagues' trust, and your reputation as a reliable professional will be undermined. Colleagues may be hesitant to collaborate with you, and superiors may question your suitability for important tasks or projects. Moreover, a reputation for dishonesty can spread rapidly, making it challenging to regain the trust of others in the workplace. A commitment to honesty not only enhances your professional image but also strengthens professional relationships and opportunities for growth.
To maintain your professional image, prioritize integrity, honesty, and transparency. These traits are imperative for all your interactions. You should never make false claims that can put your reputation at stake.
You ignore the dress-code
Maintaining your professional appearance is another important thing to consider for maintaining a professional image. Some people frequently ignore the dress code of their workplace. It doesn’t only make them look less professional but also underconfident.
Always remember the way you dress is important for your professional image.
According to a survey, about 93% of executives believe that appearance impacts your promotions’ chances. (Source)
So, it is highly imperative to dress up according to your workplace's dress code to look smart and professional.
You waste your work time on social media or entertainment websites
We all have social accounts running on multiple platforms. Most people regularly use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or other social networking platforms.
Excessive use of social media and entertainment websites, especially during work time, can ruin your professional image. It will also reflect poorly on your work ethic.
To overcome this problem, you must set your time for leisure activities and work. A variety of productivity tools are also available out there to use.
You can use these tools to block these unnecessary distracting sites during work. In addition, you should also stay focused on prioritizing your tasks and deadlines.
It will ultimately help you to avoid wasting time, improve your productivity, and build a better professional image.
You refuse to help colleagues
Having a positive attitude toward your colleagues goes without saying in every workplace. Your team will not be excited to work if you aren't helpful.
If you can't find this trait within yourself, it's time to develop it.
It is because refusing to help your colleagues can harm
the collaborative work approach, resulting in reduced efficiency and productivity.
So, fostering collaboration by showing your availability when someone needs it is always important. Ensure to help your colleagues whenever it is possible for you. Always understand that helping others will boost teamwork and benefit your professional image in the longer run.
You do not follow the company's ethics code
Adhering to the company's ethics code is not only essential to maintain a harmonious work environment but also to safeguard your professional standing and job security. Violations of the ethics code can lead to disciplinary measures and significantly tarnish the company's reputation, which may ultimately result in you being fired. To prevent such consequences, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the ethics code of the company you work for and comply with its guidelines. Should you encounter ethical dilemmas, don't hesitate to seek guidance from the HR department or your manager. Their support can prove invaluable in navigating tricky situations. Ultimately, prioritizing ethical behavior, even in the face of challenges, will not only safeguard your professional image but also contribute to a workplace culture built on integrity and trust.
You are inflexible
Showing flexibility means you are a great team player. If you are inflexible in your behavior, people will perceive you as hard-going. If others perceive you as difficult to work with, it will ultimately affect your career growth opportunities.
On the other hand, being flexible and open to new assignments and tasks will put your professional image in a positive light. In addition, your employer will see you as a valuable asset to the company. The behavior will certainly open more career development opportunities for you.
Final Thoughts
We are living in a very competitive world. Here it is vital to maintain your professional image for success. A professional image isn't only important to build a positive personality. It also plays an important role in getting more career growth opportunities. Even though certain behaviors can improve your reputation, some can negatively impact your professional image.
So, understanding and avoiding these behaviors is important to protect your professional image and embrace professional growth successfully.