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Most of us likely wouldn't ever intentionally try to get on our boss's nerves, but there might be things you're doing that are coming off as unprofessional, curious, or just plain annoying. Here, eight common workplace mistakes—brought to you by real bosses—that drive supervisors crazy.
According to Ian Wright, founder of Merchant Machine, it's annoying when an employee "prioritizes unimportant tasks over the most important ones." That means you shouldn't start replying to all the emails in your inbox before you complete your core tasks for the day—whatever they may be. "That's [not] what drives value for the business," he explains.
You mean well, we know. But when you put on your coat and step into your boss's office to ask if there's anything else he or she needs, you're sending mixed (annoying) signals. "I can't say yes because your computer is turned off, and you have nonverbally communicated that you are ready to go," explains Amy Levy-Savage, president of Amy Levy Public Relations.
As David Chaumette, principal of Piccolo Management, explains, that means you send a project back to your boss with so many questions that he or she has to get the job done his or herself. Instead, "an employee should be empowered to take enough ownership to complete a significant portion of the assignment without having to consult his or her boss," Chaumette says.
Said another way, you tell your boss what you think he or she wants to hear—a huge workplace mistake, even if you think you're doing the right thing. "One of the most dangerous things about being a manager is that people stop telling you what they really think, so you don't learn about it when you are about to screw up, or when people start to hate your guts," explains Kim Scott, a former CEO and author of Radical Candor. " Plus, for most people, it feels just gross when people kiss up to them."
When a boss asks you why you did something a certain way, this is the most annoying way you could respond, warns Chris Reimer, Maryville University's associate director of new media. "That's a clown answer," he says. "Answering in this lazy manner shows no intellectual curiosity, no internal drive, and no desire to improve oneself or one's company. And this attitude can negatively influence even the good employees."
First, try not to be late. But if it can't be helped, don't put on a performance about your car trouble, says Leo Welder, founder of Choose What. "[Don't make a big scene telling everyone what happened and why it's not your fault, expecting sympathy from your boss and coworkers," he says. "It's bad enough you're late, but the exaggerated disruption from your 'entrance' interferes with everyone else and is just flat-out annoying."
You don't want to look like a bonehead to your boss, so you say you understand his or her instructions when you have no clue what you're supposed to do. But as Ilene Marcus, founder of Aligned Workplace and author of Managing Annoying People, points out, your boss thought you had it handled and won't exactly be happy when he or she finds out it's not. Instead, "why not say, 'I’m stuck,' or 'I got lost,'" she says, "so time isn't wasted while the manager thinks it's getting done."
If you think your boss didn't see you as you scurried down the hall toward Friday-afternoon freedom, you were wrong. "When you have clocked out early without letting anyone know, and swiftly walk toward the front door without saying goodbye for the day with yoga mat in hand, I get a pretty good idea as to what your priorities are," says Jeff Nussbaum, CEO of Recruit, Inc. And hint: Your boss doesn't like them. Instead, let your supervisor know ahead of time when you plan to duck out a little early, and always say goodbye.
