Top 10 Ways You’re Sending Your Boss the Wrong Signals

Summary: Is your behavior sending your boss the wrong signals? You might be telling the boss that you do not like working at the company so avoid these at all costs.

Body language is one of the most important parts of life today because it can tell someone how happy you are or how disappointed you are during a situation. It is important to use positive body language at work as often as possible because it can mean the difference between sending the right signals and sending the wrong signals. You do not want to send the wrong signals to your boss, but many people do this even though they do not realize it.

Tendency to Zone Out

One of the worst ways to send your boss a bad signal is to zone out during a conversation with him or her or during a meeting. Zoning out includes listening half-heartedly or checking emails while on the phone with a client or co-worker. The other person can almost always tell when you are not fully invested in the conversation.

Fail to Update a Project

When you are working on a project with your manager or your co-worker, it is a good idea to update them regularly. When you are quiet about a project you are sending signals that either you are way behind on the deadline or simply have no interest in the project. You should send updates often, either daily or weekly, to let others know where you are at with the project.

Don’t Respond to Emails or Calls

Employees who do not respond to phone calls or emails from their boss make a major statement that they are not interested in the job or the company. It is best to respond to emails and calls anywhere from 24 to 48 hours after receiving them.

Send Customers to Other Employees

When you send customers to other employees instead of taking care of them yourself, you show the company that you do not care about customer relations or the image of the company.

Fail to Get Personal at Work

Even though you need to remain as professional as possible while at work, it is still important to get personal with co-workers and your boss, but on an appropriate level. When you fail to inquire about someone else’s personal life, it makes you appear to be disinterested or callous.

Failure to Meet Deadlines

Meeting deadlines is one of the most important parts of a job. If you routinely miss deadlines, then you send signals to your boss that the projects are not important and that you could care less about the needs of the company.

Browsing the Web

Almost every company employs the use of a social media policy today. The policy outlines what is and is not appropriate to post to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram about the company. It will also outline whether or not you can browse these sites while at work. When you are spending time tweeting or responding to personal emails, it tells your boss that you don’t want to be at work.

Not Going Above and Beyond

Coming in at 9 and leaving at 5 without arriving early or staying late, ever, sends a signal that you are only doing the minimum to receive a paycheck. When this happens, it shows the boss that you are not enthralled in your work or committed to completing it ahead of the due date.

Focusing on Stuff Other Than Your Job

Employees who focus on issues unrelated to their own job show the boss that they are more interested in what others are doing or not doing in the office than their own responsibilities. It is never a good idea to complain about the work others are doing or the extra duties that have been handed to you because everyone has to tackle tasks that are not in their original job description.

Not Saying Thanks

When a co-worker helps you on a project or a manager extends a deadline, you had better thank them for their help. Failing to thank them gives them the impression that you are ungrateful for what they have done for you.