10 Bad Habits That Make You Look Really Unprofessional 

These rules are so straightforward and simple, and they enhance your credibility. Why do so many people ignore them?

Picture this. I was at a networking event last winter. It was cold outside, but quite warm in the room. Most of us balanced winter coats and heavy bags. I made small talk with a few other people, when a new guy approached the group.

"Damn, you guys are carrying a ton of sh*t," he said. "You know, you can check your sh*t for free at the coat check."

Boom! Instant credibility fail. I get that he was trying to help us, but none of us paid him any mind after that introduction.

It's not really just that the guy swore most of us are pretty immune to that these days. It's that three of his first 22 words were curses (assuming you ｃount “damn” as a curse). That's just lazy, as if he couldn't be bothered to come up with better descriptions of all the things we were carrying. Instead, he went with the barnyard default, and that made him seem unserious and unprofessional.

The truth is, nobody's perfect. We're all prone to semi-conscious verbal foul-ups that make us look totally unprofessional. That's why we all need a reminder now and then. Here are 10 examples of similar things to avoid.

1. Lazy profanity
OK, this one really is at the top of the list. Again, it's not the profanity itself (although that often doesn't help). It's the laziness. If someone constantly uses the F-word as an all-purpose adjective, it makes you wonder whether they're equally uncreative and slothful in everything they do.

2. Lateness
I must admit this is a tendency I've had to work hard to combat in my own life. The phrase "Murphy Standard Time" would not be met with blank stares by some of my friends and family. Yet I've learned that being on time is a matter of respect. Show up when you say you will, and you send a message that you're professional enough to care.

3. Leering
We're all human. We're mammals. We notice alluring members of whatever gender we're biologically predisposed to be attracted to. Yet, that same humanity also means we should have the self-control to keep the "up-and-down look" under control, so to speak. Eyes up here, my friend, or you'll look like a creepy amateur.

4. Pollyannaishness
I've always been a bit bothered by the fact that the word "Pollyannaish" suggests the concept of having too much unrealistic optimism. Check out the 1913 book if you don't understand why. Still, when, after a disaster, a colleague or a vendor insists that things are absolutely fine-while simple common-sense tells you they're not undermines their professionalism.

5. Flightiness
To be flighty is to be fickle and irresponsible. Tell someone you'll be at a certain place, or that you'll accomplish a certain thing-and then never do it? Sorry, you're flighty.

6. Disorganization
(Anyone who gets more than 1,000 emails a day probably falls into this category.) As most of us who run businesses understand, clients and customers expect you to reply quickly. They want you to be able to talk about their situations (seemingly) off-the-cuff. If you aren't in control of your own situation, they'll wonder how you can possibly be in control of theirs.

7. Inarticulateness
This one is like, so like, obvious-and yet a lot of people like-they don't really, like, get it. And that just, like, totally makes them seem like-well, not really professional, because they, like, can't even get to the point of what they want to say and like, make it clear and stuff.

'Nuff said. I'd actually throw bad grammar into this category as well-although with the caveat that we've all known some very smart, professional people whose language simply betrayed their lack of formal education, or whose first tongue wasn't ours. (Seriously, if this column were written in French or Spanish, we'd all have a good laugh at my grammar.)

8. Secrecy
Sure, we all have private lives, but most of the time our businesses don't truly involve them. If you're hiding important information from employees or clients, you're not doing much for your reputation as a leader, and you're probably making them wonder whether they can trust you.

9. Overpromising
A really brilliant salesperson once told me her art of selling was about "making the maximum promise you can, consistent with your ability to deliver." Entrepreneurs often push the envelope on this, but the key is to make sure you're confident you will eventually be able to make good on your promises.

10. Cheating and lying
These two are obvious. As President George W. Bush once tried to say, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Article Source: http://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/10-bad-habits-that-make-you-look-really-unprofessional.html
Image Source: http://epmgsenior.media.lionheartdms.com/img/croppedphotos/2012/08/31/cursing_t750x550.jpg?626c74b6d570df44fd02ecca30244159e005ff34

VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Profanity (n.) ~ abusive, vulgar, or obscene language
2. Leer (v.) ~ look in an unpleasant or malicious way
3. Predispose (v.) ~ make someone liable or inclined to a specified behavior
4. Undermine (v.) ~ damage or weaken
5. Off-the-cuff (idiom) ~ spontaneous without preparation
6. Caveat (n.) ~ a warning of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Why is it important to behave professionally in the workplace or when meeting colleagues?
2. How do you react when people often speak with profanities?
3. Why is “Pollyannaish” a bad thing?
4. Are you able to communicate articulately when you are talking with people? How do you do it?
5. What kinds of behavior do you consider as unprofessional?