How You Behave Can Get You Fired

by Ray Williams

Being fired comes as a shock to most people. Whether the reason given is downsizing, re-engineering, acquisition or merger, most who are fired believe it is personal. They just happened to "be at the wrong place at the wrong time!" More often that not, it has to do with behavior!
Here are the most common reasons why people re fired, and the pitfalls you should avoid:

Attitude: You made it obvious that you really didn't want to be there, through your facial expressions, words and actions. Behavior is the expression of intent, commitment and reliability, and your behavior showed that work was just a passing interest in your life.

Effort: You came in to work five minutes before starting time and you were out the door right at quitting time every day. If you were asked to work early or lat e, you weren't happy about it and let people know. Yes, life balance is important, but so is showing you can suck it up and put in a little extra time and energy when it's needed. Making a big deal out of how your boss won't get any more than 35 or 40 hours a week out of you is career suicide.

Relationships: You didn't like the boss and it showed. You need to make your choice early n your work career. Either you can work with this person or you can't. If you can't leave. Your relationship with the boss is the number one factor influencing job performance and job satisfaction.

Paying your dues. You weren't willing to put in the time to "earn your stripes." Have you heard there is no free lunch? You have got to do the time put out the effort and earn your way up the ladder. Those who expect something for just showing up or keep making demands will alienate the boss and co-workers.

Whining: You consistently complain without offering solutions. No one likes a whiner. If you have legitimate complaints, offer alternative solutions. If you can't shut up and do your job.

Selfishness: You're the poster child for "what's in it for me." Yes, it's important to stick up for yourself, but not the exclusion of serving those around you. You will make more headway in your career by helping others.

Demanding. You are high maintenance. You took more of everyone's time and energy that you contributed. You constantly needed help and attention from the boss and co-workers. Independence for you is "I'm not sure how I should do this."

Gossiper: You gossiped about your boss and or co-workers. This is one of the most destructive habits and while everyone may have done it at one time or another, you make it a daily habit. If you engage in gossip on a regular basis, people will not trust you with confidences.

Obstructionist: People could not get work done through you, so they learned how to get around you. Your co-workers decided you are more of a barrier than a conduit. Stop being a know-it-all and needing to be right. Figure out ways to help other people be successful in their work.

If these behaviors even give you a twinge of "okay, maybe I'm a bit like that," then it's time for you took a good hard look in the mirror and made the decision to change. And changing can be hard work, and difficult to do alone. For most people, a professional coach can help set them on a more successful path.

About Ray Williams
Ray Williams is Co-Founder of Success IQ University and Ray Williams Associates, companies providing personal growth, leadership development and success strategies training for entrepreneurs, executives, managers and professionals, in Phoenix, Arizona and Vancouver, Canada. www.successiqu.com; rwilliams@successiqu.com

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