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The 5 worst mistakes
to make at work -- and how to recover
By Julie
E. Houston • Bankrate.com
Everyone makes mistakes. It's a fact of life. In the
book Managing
Up! 59 Ways to Build a Career-Advancing Relationship With Your Boss,
authors Michael and Deborah Singer Dobson say, "Mistakes and problems
are an inevitable part of business, and everyone makes his or her
share."
We found several people who were willing to admit
to their business blunders and offer their experiences and lessons.
Perhaps you won't make the same mistakes they have.
Crying at the office
"If you cry, you die," says Donna Gould, owner
of public relations firm Phoenix Media, in Matawan, N.J. "During
my tenure as an executive in the corporate world, I got very emotional
when things didn't work out well or when I had to deal with difficult
situations. I firmly believe that because I cried, [my co-workers']
perspective of me changed greatly. Once they saw that I was too
emotional, my career and job were doomed."
Recovering from this mistake is tough, Gould says.
"I don't think there is any way to recover from that. I had to learn
the hard way -- I will never cry again in a business situation.
When things get too difficult to handle, I just take a few minutes
out and rethink things ... I can usually come back feeling good
again."
Hanky panky
"I worked with a guy who dated one of the women
he was working with. He caught her in bed with another man, and
the whole mess spilled over into the workplace," says John Kelly,
an account executive for Newman Communications in Boston.
And if you're going to hook up, you'd better shut
up. You never know who's going to hear about your sizzling fling
and share the gossip with the rest of the office. Before you know
it, the rumor mill is churning out breaking news on your love life.
The moral of the story is to keep your mouth shut.
Making a fool out of yourself
Behave yourself at social functions, our experts
say. For example, don't get rip-roaring drunk in front of your co-workers
and have to be carried home by your manager.
If you don't want to be the subject of the office
buzz, try practicing self-control at social functions. That includes
dinner with clients, happy hour and cocktail parties and the company
holiday party.
If you play the party animal, apologize to your boss
and anyone you offended. Make sure you do a great job at work, so
your performance becomes the focus of your reputation, not your
partying. Read more about being on your best behavior at work functions
in our story "Don't
embarrass yourself at the company party."
Bad-mouthing co-workers
Watch what you say -- it could come back to
haunt you. Newman Communications' Kelly admits he's no stranger
to office mistakes himself. He explains that he went above a boss's
head and spoke to a general manager in confidence, only to find
out "Nothing can be said in confidence." Kelly says. "The whole
thing played out pretty ugly."
If you flap your yap, apologize to the parties involved,
and start keeping your mouth shut.
Skipping the retirement plan
Don't miss out on your future. If your company
matches any part of your contributions to your 401(k) plan, it's
like your boss is giving you money. Even
if the company doesn't match at all, your contributions are tax-free.
Harriet Hankin, president of CGI Consulting Group Inc. says that
employees should take full advantage of any retirement savings/401(k)
program. "Employers and employees are not giving enough attention
to retirement savings and planning."
The great thing is it's never too late to put money
aside for retirement. So, start today.
-- Posted: May 10, 2000
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