7 behaviours that could damage professional relationships at work

Wondering why your co-workers have been avoiding you lately? It might be because of one of these reasons below. If you see yourself in any of the examples, it’s time to make a change and watch your work relationships improve dramatically.

1. Being a Source of Strong Smells

There are two ways you can cause this problem. Bringing smelly foods into the office can stink everyone out for the rest of the day. In addition, poor hygiene can cause offensive body odor, while wearing strong perfume or cologne can make people choke. Maintain a good hygiene and keep additional scents to a minimum. Do so to avoid being a source of strong smells in the workplace.

2. Being Too Chatty

It’s normal to want to share your stories and experiences at work, but make sure the chitchat is welcome before you do. If someone has a deadline or needs to focus, he or she probably does not want to be interrupted. Someone working through lunch or break is also not a good target for your story, even if you are not working yourself. Remember also that your co-workers are just co-workers, not your best friends, and they are not there to listen as you go on and on about your personal problems.

3. Being Disgusting

There are a lot of ways to simply gross your co-workers out, and none of them are pleasant. Clipping your nails, picking your nose, coughing and sneezing on everyone etc, keep gross practices out of the public workplace, and you will find yourself a lot more likable.

4. Being a Personal Space Invader

There’s a normal amount of personal space expected at work, and those who invade it regularly damage their relationships with everyone else. Walking into someone’s cubicle, sitting on one’s work station uninvited, borrowing office supplies without asking are all issues. Be aware, and give people their space.

5. Using Inappropriate Humor

Everyone’s sense of humor is different, but there are some things that are simply off-limits in the workplace. If you are that person who tells jokes based on toilet humor, race, or gender, you are likely annoying everyone around you-, even if they don’t feel comfortable enough to call you out on it. Sensitive subjects, like religion and politics should be avoided as well

6. Talking Loudly on the Phone

If you are in a quiet cubicle environment, you want to be reasonable about volume. While no one expects silence all day, you don’t want to be the person talking so loudly you can be heard everywhere in your office. Also, don’t take calls on speakerphone that everyone can hear loud and clear. You would not want to hear somebody else’s conversations, so don’t make them listen to yours.

7. Being the Office Gossip

It’s important to know what’s going on in your office, but you don’t want to be the one that goes around the office spreading unnecessary information or rumours. This irritates people because it shows you are untrustworthy. To be more likable, keep your eyes open, but your mouth closed.