keep-calm-and-use-commas- Photo credit: translation-boutique.com
My good friend S., who also happens to be a kick ass manager, once confided in me that her worst pet peeve at work is punctuation. Terrible punctuation, that is. And I really hope she doesn’t read this post, because I’ll never hear the end of it. S. loves punctuation, and has a particular fondness for commas…and for the employees she manages who also respect the sanctity of correct punctuation. Just as she happens to have a serious pet peeve for misplaced commas and lost periods.
As much as we may all strive to perform well at work, be sociable and politically correct, some seemingly “small” and mundane things sometimes appear to stand in our way. And while these may not necessarily make it to our performance review write-up, they do make an impact on how others, especially managers and higher-ups, perceive us.
From an unkempt appearance to sloppy work presentation, your boss’s pet peeves may seem annoying at first, but in reality they may be actual hindrances to your career. By learning to perceive and constructively manage these, you may also be giving yourself quite a competitive advantage at work:
1. Notice the signs! Does your manager repeatedly give you review notes on a particular aspect of your work? Does s/he make comments about some things you could improve? Did you catch a disapproving look or expression in their face? Part of knowing your work environment is learning to know the personalities you work with, especially your higher-ups. Learn to read the signs and build yourself a constructive list of work habits your manager is adverse to.
2. Do sweat the small stuff! Manager adverse to poor grammar? Does the VP prefer reports submitted on company letterhead? Are statistics and graphs important to the Director? When it comes to your career, the “small” stuff does matter. All it takes is a detail to downgrade your best work from excellent to barely average. So do sweat the small stuff, and choose to go above and beyond..
3. When in doubt, ask! It can be hard to decipher someone’s likes and dislikes, especially in the workplace. If and when in doubt about an average performance review, lukewarm evaluation or straight up negative reaction, don’t be afraid to ask what you can do better! Showing concern over perfecting your work and meeting expectations goes a long way!
Does your boss have interesting, even funny pet peeves? How do you manage these?
The Corporate Sis.
