Anyone who wants to succeed in their job, whether it’s a summer or after-school job or a step up in their career, needs to have good work habits. They help you build stronger relationships with your boss and coworkers, which in turn improves your productivity and job satisfaction. We asked parents and professionals with experience what essential work habits they would impact on young adults.
We all have someone at work whose work habits we admire, admit it.
They have revealed the secrets to the best workplace habit, are extremely productive, and are outstanding at their jobs.
When you look at them, you wonder if they are truly productive.
We can help you break out of the rut of mediocrity and learn how to develop a better work routine.
We’ll talk about ten powerful work habits that the majority of successful people swear by in this article. Additionally, we have deciphered a quick method for putting a habit into action.
36 good work habits
Whether our habits are good or bad, they define us all.
Additionally, the bad habits may occasionally be exaggerated at work. Based on how you work, you could actually be the most charming or the most annoying coworker.
But first, let’s talk about what good work habits are and why you should develop them before we get into successful work habits.
According to the working habits definition, an employee’s behavioral patterns that contribute to their job performance are considered good work habits. They are success factors that improve teamwork, productivity, reliability, job satisfaction, and reliability.
Examples of essential work habits include:
- Punctuality
- Proactiveness
- Strong communication skills
- Strict adherence to deadlines
These work mantras are used in one way or another by the majority of successful people. They also provide career coaching for others to adopt!
Here are 36 productive work habits that will help you succeed professionally:
- Be punctual and professional at the workplace
- Respect and achieve deadlines
- Manage time for a healthy work life balance
- Ask relevant questions
- Be organized
- Communicate effectively
- Take initiatives and learn a skill proactively
- Say no to procrastination
- Use a habit management app
- Take criticism well
- Don’t gossip
- Be a problem solver, not a complainer
- Be dependable
- Be willing to go into work if your boss asks
- Allow extra time for everything
- Be prepared to not know everything
- Put your phone away while at work
- Dress for a better job
- Ask for help and offer it as well
- Always do your best
- Be kind
- Do more than is required and do it with a smile and a positive attitude
- Never say “it’s not my job”
- Look at problems as opportunities, not challenges
- Keep personal problems out of the workplace
- Ask questions
- Always proofread your work
- Don’t forget that work is work
- Make sure you understand company policies
- Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
- Be organized
- Prepare for your day
- Never ask a subordinate or colleague to do something you would not do
- Smile, and when things are at their worst, smile more
- Listen to understand, not react
- Stop procrastinating
1. Be punctual and professional at the workplace
It’s a no-brainer to arrive at work on time.
However, one of the most difficult bad habits to break is being late.
And rely on us.
Being consistently late for work is the worst thing that can happen to a boss.
Try to arrive at work 10 minutes early if you don’t want to get in their bad books. This will help you plan your day and be prepared for the start of the official hours.
When you work from home now, it can be harder to keep up good work habits like being on time.
After all, keeping an eye on the cat of your neighbor is a legitimate distraction.
However, you should still make an effort to log in on time and be available for calls or meetings with the team.
Also, don’t be too strict with your work schedule.
As long as it doesn’t disrupt your work-life balance, it’s okay to stay home for important tasks from time to time.
Your punctuality and dedication to your work say a lot about how professional you are.
Also, the most effective way to instill this great work propensity is to design your day or available time.
You could:
- Set a timetable for yourself
- Set reminders for meetings
- Give yourself extra time to deal with unforeseen situations
2. Respect and achieve deadlines
Successful people have a positive habit and trademark of meeting deadlines. When you finish work on time, it shows that you are responsible and can complete tasks well.
However, you could set short-term goals for yourself and your team if you struggle to achieve them. This could be a plan of action to help you focus on the task at hand better.
In addition, the momentum for greater success will be established by overcoming those smaller victories and celebrating them.
To ensure that your deadlines are realistic, you should also communicate with your managers about your workload and project progress.
In addition, if you suffer from Monday blues—we get it—prepare a to-do list and organize your work ahead of time to better meet deadlines.
3. Manage time for a healthy work life balance
A healthy habit that can help you stand out is time management.
It wastes valuable office time to take a lengthy lunch break, engage in gossip, or discuss personal issues at work.
And only you can keep yourself from getting into trouble at work if you’ve been bitten by the social media virus.
When you’re watching adorable dog videos, right?
Additionally, you may lose focus and be required to work late, jeopardizing your work-life balance.
To improve your good work habits, you should:
- Set goals for each task.
- Do not multitask.
- Reduce the number of things in your workspace that can cause distractions.
You could also figure out how much time you spend on projects and tasks by using a time tracker or project management software. These apps are especially useful if you work from home because they can help you improve your deep work skills and make it easier to organize your personal tasks.
4. Ask relevant questions
You never know when you might get stuck, no matter how skilled you are.
When you need help, ask for it. It’s a good habit.
Occasionally, asking questions also helps to facilitate discussions, which can be beneficial to everyone.
However, you should try to strike a balance between annoyance and curiosity. It’s possible to quickly develop a bad work routine if you ask too many questions, especially the same ones.
The fact of the matter is, don’t irritate your kindred laborers with “where’s the espresso machine?” kind of inquiries.
Instead, follow the mocha scent and be a go-getter.
5. Be organized
At work, you don’t have to be an organizer who prefers to “go big or go home.”
Begin with something simple like:
- Assigning your calendar, a color.
- Taking appropriate notes.
- Putting together a list.
- Taking frequent, brief breaks at work.
And from here, keep moving forward.
It is also a big no-no to have a messy work desk and a messed-up daily schedule. You don’t want your bad work habits to be seen by everyone.
You could also organize your tasks and develop this positive work habit by using a task management tool. These focus tools can help you stay organized by tracking deadlines and visualizing tasks.
6. Communicate effectively
Communicate clearly with your coworkers and employer at all times, regardless of whether you work from home or the office.
A response can be written without the use of the thesaurus.
Be effective yet simple.
Additionally, keep your boss regularly informed of the project’s progress. They are appreciative of your keeping them informed.
But you shouldn’t be the only one talking.
People who are successful are also active listeners. It’s a positive routine and an incredible delicate expertise to have.
You can be an active listener by doing the following:
- When a coworker speaks, don’t interrupt
- Learn from the speaker’s body language and nonverbal cues
- Make appropriate inquiries or follow-ups
- Write down the concepts in your own words to make sure you understood them
7. Take initiatives and learn a skill proactively
You won’t experience success if all you do is sit back and admire successful people.
Upskilling is necessary if you want to perform well and move quickly up the success ladder.
Make a list of the skills you don’t have and take workshops or courses for professional certification to learn those skills.
Additionally, you should aim for managerial positions and consult a career coach if necessary.
Additionally, if you work from home, you shouldn’t wait for your boss to delegate responsibilities. Instead, make proactive requests for projects.
Even if it isn’t listed in your job description, take the initiative to get more work. This will make you stand out from the crowd like a diamond.
However, if you already have enough on your plate, do not overburden yourself. You don’t want to start a significant project and not finish it.
8. Say no to procrastination
During office hours, you probably would rather scroll through your social media feeds than finish a project you don’t like.
However, putting off important tasks only makes matters worse.
And then, kaboom, it’s gone. You have far exceeded the deadline.
However, you should not let your anxiety regarding deadlines take over.
If completing a task causes you too much stress, it might as well be done. Committing to the task at hand and always finishing what you started is also a healthy habit.
9. Use a habit management app
Are you now clear on the answer to the question “what are work habits?”
Awesome!
However, it takes time to develop good work habits, and it is difficult to let go of bad ones. In fact, most habit coaches will probably tell you that you will need around 21 days to form a habit.
10. Take criticism well
Don’t turn a blind eye to every criticism.
Nobody is flawless.
Negative feedback is necessary for growth, and you should give or receive it from time to time.
Learn to de-personalize your messages and treat your employer like a career coach.
Your boss’ or an employee’s feedback is meant to help you concentrate and become a better version of yourself.
Consider it a disguised blessing.
Your emotional intelligence also plays a role in how well you deal with criticism.
Holding back your initial reaction, asking questions, and showing appreciation are all simple ways to respond to criticism. Positive thinking will naturally make you more receptive to constructive criticism.
The advice from your boss is valuable. He isn’t always praising your work because he doesn’t like you. He might be attempting to assist you with succeeding.
11. Don’t gossip
If a coworker tries to get you involved in the rumor mill or talks behind another worker’s back, keep your distance and don’t contribute to it.
12. Be a problem solver, not a complainer
Always have suggestions for how to improve something if you have a complaint. You’ll sound more like a professional than a whiner when you turn your negative emotions into positive actions.
13. Be dependable
Always arrive at your scheduled time for work. If you are truly ill, do not call out.
14. Be willing to go into work if your boss asks
Be prepared to make every effort to attend work if your manager asks you to do so when you are not scheduled to. You should also be (or pretend to be) cheerful about it.
15. Allow extra time for everything
Always include some extra time for commuting and in your project’s deadline.
16. Be prepared to not know everything
When you first start out, you won’t know everything, and even as you advance in your career, you will still have more to learn.
17. Put your phone away while at work
While you are working, the text messages and notifications that appear on your phone can be a significant distraction. Limit your phone use to breaks.
18. Dress for a better job
When you dress for the job you want, your employer can see you doing it.
19. Ask for help and offer it as well
Nobody, regardless of how capable, can do it in isolation. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Be aware that others may also require it but may be reluctant to ask, so lend a hand whenever you can.
20. Always do your best
When your boss gives you a task, do it as well as you can.
21. Be kind
Negative behavior toward others has no benefit. People will feel good about you and happy when you show kindness to them. Be especially kind to people who appear to be in the worst situation. It’s possible that they really need it, and it could help them.
22. Do more than is required and do it with a smile and a positive attitude
Doing more than your boss or customers expect of you will not only earn your recognition but also provide you with experience and personal fulfillment.
23. Never say “it’s not my job”
When you need help, be prepared to lend a hand. You will show that you are adaptable by doing something that isn’t in your job description.
24. Look at problems as opportunities, not challenges
At the point when issues emerge, addressing them allows you the opportunity to grandstand your assets and level up your abilities.
25. Keep personal problems out of the workplace
Avoid talking too much about your problems at home. It’s possible that the things you say to your coworkers will have an impact on how they see you and your boss as able to do your job, making you the target of workplace gossip.
26. Ask questions
Get clarification if you don’t know how to do something or how it works. Asking a question, you think is silly may make you feel foolish, but it’s better than making a mistake you could have avoided.
27. Always proofread your work
Although reviewing your work may take some extra time, it is much preferable to spot errors before others do.
28. Don’t forget that work is work
While it is essential to enjoy your work, you will be very disappointed if you expect it to be always fun and games. You will need to do some things that won’t be glamorous, but as the saying goes, “that’s why they’re paying you the big bucks”.
29. Make sure you understand company policies
If you don’t know what they are, ask someone whose job it is to know them, like the HR department, for the information. Instead, if you ask a coworker, they might give you the wrong answer, and you’ll have to deal with the consequences.
30. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
Be truthful when someone asks you a question to which you truly do not have an answer, rather than spreading false information. You will discover that you are uncertain. Do it then.
31. Be organized
If you’re not organized, you can’t do good work.
32. Prepare for your day
Prepare for the day by anticipating what you will need to complete at work before you arrive early. Don’t let last-minute changes stress you out. It might be necessary to alter your plans.
33. Never ask a subordinate or colleague to do something you would not do
If you have the authority to do so, delegate tasks, but do not expect others to do your dirty work for you.
34. Smile, and when things are at their worst, smile more
Smiling makes you and those around you feel better. Naturally, don’t smile when it’s not appropriate to do so, like when a tragedy occurs.
35. Listen to understand, not react
Pay close attention when someone is speaking. Instead of considering how you will respond, try to absorb what the other person is saying. Later, you can ask questions.
36. Stop procrastinating
Investing off doing your effort, even a task you fear, won’t make it disappear. It might as well be finished.
Hey, I am Sachin Ramdurg. I run and manage futuredecider.com website that helps students, graduates, and professionals, to find and decide on their future career with ultimate future career advices and future career guides. I have an overall 12+ years of career guidance experience in multiple domains which has helped multiple students, graduates, and professionals to find the best career path for their future.