You might be a passionate and hard working person yet when it is time for promotion or a raise your name was off the list. Wondering why?! You might not have realized this but some of your work habits can negatively impact your career.

Here are 5 work habits that can hold you back

Trying to please everyone

Don’t always be a ‘Yes’ person. Learn how to say ‘NO’. There would always be a coworker or a senior manager that opposes you or tries to take advantage of you by getting you to shoulder their work responsibilities. Instead of committing to things that you know you cannot complete or making up excuses for not completing the tasks, give reasons for why you can’t commit in the first place. And remember the rule – don’t over promise and under deliver.

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Trying to do it all

Learn how to prioritize your work. I’d like to make a list of tasks that I want to complete. And the best part of this is crossing something off that is of lesser importance. Make a note of the tasks you need to complete and its deadline and the time you have in your hand. Know the ones that are more critical or a must haves and focus on them first. Trying to do everything is almost like doing nothing well.

Not doing your work independently

Don’t think that asking a lot of questions always shows your enthusiasm. Asking questions and clarifying doubts are good when it comes to first few months of your job in a new company or role. But working independently with less supervision or assistance shows you taking the ownership of your job and that you are ready to take your career to the next level.

Not promoting your work

Don’t always assume that your manager knows everything about what you do. Sometime showing off your accomplishments and recognitions are needed to let your manager know your great work and to build your reputation. If you received a compliment from a satisfied customer for going above and beyond on your normal responsibility let your manager know.

Not asking for help

There is no harm in asking for what you need to accomplish your job. Know what resources you need to do your job well and get the help. Be it asking your manager to share some critical information with you, adding one more person to your team or getting the approval to buy any technology that can help you do your job more efficiently. Asking for help doesn’t show that you are inefficient but not knowing what you need to accomplish the tasks can make you look like the inefficient one.