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Back in the day, when I used to be much younger and inexperienced in business, I often became defensive when someone disagreed with me. I said almost mechanically, “You’re not listening to me!” I finally realized that this knee-jerk response was a habit I needed to break; the other person was often listening but just didn’t see things my way. I modified this bad habit by turning it into a query: “Why do you think this is best?” – which completely modified the tone of the conversation.
Negative habits equal negative results
Acting without considering, as I did in these situations, is the very definition of habitual behavior. When a habit is negative, it may well do great damage to your work performance, especially if you do not see the damage you are doing because you are used to engaging in the behavior. You may not even think it’s a habit. A few minutes on social media would not hurt, right? Maybe not – until it changes in a few hours.
I never prefer it when someone does something without considering, but the damage that bad habits do – to those that practice them and to those with whom they work – is greater than simply the indisputable fact that you engage in routine actions. I have seen with my very own eyes how bad habits negatively affect people. Wasting time leads to sloppy work at the last minute. A foul attitude brings everyone down.
I’ve found that the best way to fix a bad habit is to replace it with something positive, as I did with my “You’re not listening” criticism. Asking one other person to explain their viewpoint shows respect and replaces “You’re not” with “Why?” turns a negative attack into a positive inquiry. (And getting the other person to defend their opinion may make them realize that you just were right after all!)
Before you get rid of a bad habit, it’s essential to, in fact, admit that you just have developed it. Here are five bad habits that may harm your enterprise and suggestions on how to deal with them.
Wasting your working time on social media
It’s almost redundancy; unless you are the social media manager at your organization, all of your time spent on (*5*)Facebook, Instagram or other networks are a waste of time. The problem is that we frequently think we’ll “just check” these social networks – and then we discover out that we’re still online and half the day is almost over.
Break it: Set aside time to use social media and stick to it; set a timer if essential. Turn off all alerts and stay offline during meetings. If you are using Zoom, you may put your phone in one other room to avoid distractions.
Interruption
This is disrespectful and it’s possible you’ll lose essential input from the person you are interrupting. The problem begins when we think about what we’ll say in response to the speaker, as a substitute of listening to him and then responding.
Break it: Wait until the speaker has finished and then present your opinion and response. You may also try not saying anything for a day or two until someone asks you what you think.
Multitasking
We used to think it was a superpower. “Wow, she’s so productive!” Now we know higher. Our brain needs time to adapt when we switch from one task to one other.
Break it: Do one thing at a time and do it well. Give yourself a chunk of time – at least an hour, perhaps two – to focus on the tasks of each project and don’t let other projects get in the way.
Skipping lunch
Another “macho” business habit that has been debunked. If you are so busy that you would be able to’t take a break to refuel, you are doing something fallacious. This is one of several health habits that you just need to get rid of: drinking too much, smoking (any amount), poor nutrition, lack of exercise. You would not let your laptop or cellphone run without charging; Your body and mind may even be no good if you neglect them.
Break it: Take advantage of your allotted day without work, eat a nutritious lunch and calm down. Take a few more breaks during the day to walk. You may even solve this business problem by moving away from your desk!
Grumble
Negativity drags you down and takes everyone with it; a positive attitude leads to success. We have a manager who used to think that when sharing bad news, he was at all times being honest and transparent. This is terrible leadership because negativity spreads and gives everyone room to complain. We are changing it and now he higher understands the impact his attitude had.
Break it: Before you share bad news or negative feedback, ask yourself if your audience needs to hear it. Will it make someone’s job easier or make their day higher? If it’s essential to share it, just state the facts and don’t make it sound worse (or higher) than it is.
Now, because I imagine in positivity, I’ll leave you with Good a habit you must cultivate. To be “good finder” as creator and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar used to say. It’s easy to get caught up in continually finding fault in yourself and others, but make it a habit to look for the good in everyone, too.