The Top 3 Work Habits Pros Are Scared Of

Everyone is afraid of something. Some folks have a fear of failure, others are afraid of confrontation, and the list keeps going.

However, there are three main work habits that scare even the most talented professionals. This article will detail these fears and offer suggestions on what you can do to prevent these fears from affecting your work performance.

Under-Performance

Workplace performance varies from person to person. Naturally, some employees perform better than others. Job performance depends on a person’s position, experience and skills.

You may worry that you’re not performing to the best of your potential. The fear of underperforming is both positive and negative.

On the one hand, it can lead to unhealthy habits. For example, you might go home and continue working for several hours after your shift. People often do this when they’re afraid of a coworker outshining them. Instead, it only leads to poor work-life balance.

On the other hand, the fear of under-performance may drive you to improve your skills. It’ll push you to work hard and get better at your job.

So, use your fear of under-performance to empower you to reach greatness rather than putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Make sure to get enough rest and to keep your anxiety in-check, or else it will get the best of you.

Direct Communication

If you’re not a fan of confrontation, that’s understandable and you’re not alone.

However, you must learn to communicate with your colleagues if you want to thrive in the professional world. And this includes learning how to deal with confrontation in the right way.

Sometimes, confrontation isn’t about telling a person what they did wrong. Instead, approach it as a way to help a coworker (and yourself) improve.

For example: If a coworker is slacking off and leaving the hard work to everyone else, you could approach them in an angry, confrontational manner. But, this won’t do much besides severing your relationship.

Instead, you should approach them in private and say, “Hey, I’ve noticed that you are detached from the project we’re working on. I think you bring a lot to the table, and we’d all benefit from your participation.”

Positive communication can go a long way in the workforce. If you don’t communicate effectively, you’ll have a tough time becoming an outstanding employee.

Prioritizing Tasks

Surprisingly, a lot of people are afraid of prioritization.

After all, it requires you to create a hierarchy in your workflow  ̶  from the most important tasks to the least important. Some people are unable to be honest with themselves about what actually needs to get done.

In order to prioritize your tasks, you should start by making a to-do list each day. Put the most important things on the top and include the lesser items in the margins. Make sure to leave time for short breaks.

Then, learn how to say no. This is one of the most underrated words in the world. In less than one second, this two-letter word can help you regain control over your day.

Is your manager pestering you to take on an extra project while you’re already busy? Tell them you can’t. If they’re a good manager, they’ll see that you’re already hard at work on something else.

Sometimes, it’s good to be the person who picks up the slack and handles extra work. But you can’t be a superhero all the time. Learning to say no will help you hone your prioritization skills and allow you to be a more effective employee.

It’s important to overcome your fears. Instead of getting caught up in what could go wrong or has gone wrong, focus on the steps necessary to achieve your goals. And remember, there’s always room for improvement. As professionals, we’re always learning, and overcoming your fears is part of the learning process.

Joshua Kuykendall is the business manager of the Parq at Iliff Station community. He’s passionate about team growth and encouraging all to take customer service to the next level.