Are You Sabotaging Your Own Career?

Several of us were talking this morning about the frustrations of waiting for someone to do their job. I see it time and time again yet still find it surprising that some people just don’t realize how damaging some actions can be to a career, a reputation, and a personal brand within your industry.

These five simple actions are why you aren’t getting ahead:

• Being late or a no-show: Don’t make someone else wait to do their job because you haven’t done yours. 
• Not returning calls or email: When you ignore people or wait to reply, you are saying “your business is just not that important to me.”
• Doing just enough to get by: As my father used to say “If you are going to do a half-ass job, don’t do it at all.” 
• Complaining or assigning blame: Blah, blah, blah. No one cares. Really. They don’t care. You are wasting my time, or someone else's. 
• Never saying thank you: This simplest of actions is the one most often forgotten. Appreciation is the most powerful tool you have. Use it.

Any one of the above actions can be detrimental to your career and can cause a client or customer to move on to someone else. Two or more? I think I see your problem.  

Are you guilty of any, some, or all of the above--and what others do you think should be added to the list? Change your ways today and you’ll change your career and your life.

It is that simple.

Dayna Steele is a business success speaker, marketing strategist, and author of the forthcoming book “101 Ways to Rock Your World: Everyday Activities for Success Every Day.”  Follow her on Twitter @daynasteele or visit her website at www.daynasteele.com. She is habitually early.

[Image: Flickr user Simao Mata]