20 Toxic Business Habits

These behaviours negatively impact a company's culture. How many do you recognise?

1. Winning too much

The need to win at all costs and in all situations, when it matters and when it is irrelevant. There is fine line between being competitive and over-competitive. If we argue too much it is because we want our view to prevail over everyone else’s. If we put others down, it is a stealthy way of positioning then beneath us.

2. Adding too much value

The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion.

3. Passing judgement

The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.

4. Making destructive comments

Needless sarcasm, cutting remarks (often wrapped up in ‘humour’) that we think makes us sound sharp and witty, but which is damaging relationships with others.

5. An excessive need to be me

Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they’re who we are.

6. Starting sentences with ‘no ‘but ‘however’

The overuse of these negative qualifiers which secretly says to everyone ‘I’m right, you’re wrong.’

7. Telling the world how smart we are

The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are.

8. Speaking when angry

Using emotional volatility as a management tool

9. Negativity, or ‘Let me explain why that won’t work.’

The need to share our negative thoughts even when we weren’t asked.

10. Withholding information

The refusal to share information in order to maintain an ‘advantage’ over others.

11. Failing to give proper recognition

The inability to praise, reward and say ‘thank you.’

12. Claiming credit that we don’t deserve

Overestimating our contribution to any success.

13. Making excuses

The need to reposition our annoying behaviour as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.

14. Clinging to the past

The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past, a subset of blaming everyone one else.

15. Playing favourites

Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly. Playing favourites stacks ‘your team’ so you will win (see point 1)

16. Refusing to accept regret

The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we’re wrong, or recognise how our actions affect others.

17. Not listening

The most passive aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.

18. Failing to express gratitude

The most basic form of bad manners.

19. Punishing the messenger

The misguided need to attack the innocent who are usually only trying to help us.

20. Passing the buck

The need to blame everyone but ourselves. The refusal to look in the mirror first and accept personal responsibility.

Source: What got you here, won’t get you there (how successful people become even more successful) by M. Goldsmith.

 

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