Some Habits That May Be Getting On Your Boss' Nerves
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Have you ever wondered why you never got that raise you were hoping for? You could be getting on your boss' nerves.
As CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports, there are five habits bosses really hate -- and you may be guilty without even realizing it.
Few people are likely to realize, or admit to, having annoyed their boss.
"I don't think so," said Lisa Marie Gayle an employee of the placement firm Instant Technology. "I think that (my boss) Rona loves me."
Her colleague, Beth Picciuca, said, "I can sometimes be a little outspoken."
But whether you know it or not, certain habits do indeed get under your boss' skin. Rona Borre, chief executive officer of Instant Technology, ran off a list of some of her pet peeves.
"The texting, and the Twittering and online shopping" are all up there, Borre said.
Career counselor Arlene Hirsch says wasting time at work could be a sign that an employee is showing too little initiative.
"You would want the people who are not busy to offer to help the people who are busy, rather than going shopping online," Hirsch said.
But doing too much too soon can also backfire.
"Taking too much initiative could be that you're on someone else's territory," she said.
A third bad habit that bosses can't stand is neediness. Hirsch says it is a trait often exhibited by young workers right out of college.
"They expect more feedback, or they're always asking, you know, if they're doing it right," she said.
Instant Technology employee Salman Rehman admits he used to be like that.
He describes it as "kind of asking a lot of stupid questions when I first joined."
Bosses also don't care for employees who make excuses.
"This often happens to me, I would say, on a daily basis," Borre said.
And bosses are no fans of workers who complain. Borre had a fairly straightforward solution – or warning – to workers with that problem.
"If you're not happy here, then it's not the right place for you, and it's OK," she said. "I think we should sever ties."
While there are lots of things that the boss hates, there are also very subtle ways that you can make your boss happy.
If you're an excuse maker, Hirsch says you should take responsibility for what went wrong.
"If you learn from the mistake then you won't make it again," she said.
Instead of overstepping your boundaries by showing too much initiative, impress your boss simply by doing a really good job. And instead of wasting time at work, use that time to develop new ideas.
"I want people that are passionate; that want to get involved; that want to help grow a business," Borre said.
The experts' most important piece of advice – get to know your boss' management style, and adapt to it.
"Just experiment with a different way of interacting, and see if you get a different response," Hirsch said.
"I have a few people in my firm right now. They're always coming into my office to engage with me. I want to invest in them; I want to take them under my wing and help them," Borre said.
Experts call that technique "managing your boss." Among other things, be sure to find out if the boss prefers communication via email, phone or in-person.
