Good work habits are essential for anyone who wants to succeed in their job. Good habits in the workplace increase your productivity and job satisfaction and help you have good relationships with your boss and colleagues. Here is a list of good habits, it is worth cultivating:

Don’t gossip

Never contribute to the gossip mill and always remain neutral if a colleague tries to pull you into gossiping or talking behind another colleagues back. Remember they’ll be talking about you tomorrow.

Be a problem solver – not a complainer

Complaining will get you nowhere. No one likes a moaner. If something goes wrong at work fix it. If the printer has run out of ink don’t stand there and moan – fix it!

Be willing to work extra hours

If your boss asks you to come into work when you’re not scheduled, or to work late, be willing to make every effort to do what is asked. You should also be cheerful about it – or pretend to be!

Allow extra time for everything

Never be late for anything. Always build a buffer into your commuting time, allow for traffic jams, trains being cancelled and being unable to find a parking spot. Furthermore, when you are given a job to complete, never promise to finish sooner than you think you can.

Put your phone away

Having your phone on your desk during work is not advisable, keep it in your pocket or handbag. Calls, notifications and text messages that pop up whilst you are supposed to be working are a big distraction. Check your phone at lunch time.

Dress for a better job

Dressing for the position you want lets your boss visualise you in that job. You spend more time at work than you do socialising, so your clothing budget should always be more for your work wardrobe. Dress to impress at all times.

Don’t let your moods affect your colleagues

We all have good and bad days, but it is totally selfish to let your bad days affect the rest of your colleagues. If you feel really really bad let your colleagues know, you will be surprised at how much support they give you. Just being a moody pain in the neck will make you enemies.

Ask for help and offer it aswell

No one, no matter how talented, can do it all alone. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Realize that your colleagues may require help too but could hesitate to ask, so offer a helping hand when you can.

Always do your best

There is nothing to be gained by not being nice to others. When you are kind, it makes others happy and they in turn will also be nice to you. Be especially kind to those who seem unhappy, they may need it and it could have a positive effect on them.

Do more than is required

Doing more than your boss or client expect will get you recognition, more importantly it will give you personal satisfaction. Always do everything with a smile and a positive attitude.

Never say “it’s not my job”

Be ready to help out when needed. It may involve doing something that isn’t in your job description. But it will demonstrate that you are a willing worker who is prepared to take on extra responsibility.

Look at problems as opportunities

When problems arise, solving them gives you the chance to showcase your strengths and sharpen your skills. Everyone loves a problem solver it demonstrates that you love challenge and can think on your feet.

Keep personal problems out of the workplace

Beware of talking about your personal problems. What you tell your boss or colleagues could influence their perception about your ability to do your job and it could make you the subject of workplace gossip

Ask questions

If you don’t understand how to do something, or how something works, get clarification. You may feel foolish asking what you consider to be a silly question, but that is much better than making an avoidable mistake

Make sure you understand Corporate policies

If you don’t know what they are, ask someone whose job it is to know them for example the HR Department. If you ask a colleague instead you may get the wrong information and you could get into trouble.

Don’t be afraid to say I don’t know

If someone asks you a question and you truly don’t know the answer, rather than bluffing it, be honest. Say you don’t know, but you will find out – then do it. No-one likes someone who tries to bluff their way through life.

Prepare for your day

Arrive at work early and get ready for the day by anticipating what you will have to do while you are there. Do not get flustered by last minute changes, you may sometimes have to moderate your plans

Never ask someone to do something you would not do

Delegate tasks if you have the authority, but delegate fairly and provide advice and support if needed. Never, never ask someone to do your dirty work for you that’s just not fair and you will upset people.

 Smile, smile and smile more

Smiling makes you feel better and it makes others feel better. Of course don’t smile when its inappropriate to do so, for example if something goes wrong. But generally, a happy person means a happy office.

Listen to understand – not react

When someone is talking to you listen carefully, they may be trying to correct you when you have done something wrong, or it could be a new instruction. Don’t think about how you are going to respond. Listen to understand.

 Be organised

It is impossible to do good work if you are disorganised. There is an old saying a messy desk is a messy head. Organise yourself, have an order for everything, ensure if someone comes to your desk they can immediately find what they are looking for.

We hope this helps you, if you want to get on in your career it is important you have good habits. It’s never too late to adopt them but the earlier you do the quicker you will climb the career ladder.

 Good Luck.