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Bad Habits

November 15, 2009


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In his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, executive coach Marshall Goldsmith lists 20 bad habits we need to break at work. If you can read these without feeling at least a little guilty you are either about to receive sainthood or are in denial.

The list includes:

  • The need to win all the time
  • The desire to add our two-cents in every discussion
  • Making sarcastic or cutting remarks
  • Passing the buck
  • Failing to give recognition
  • Taking the credit when it’s not ours to take.


Goldsmith lists ways to break such habits. It’s a good read and much needed advice. After all, don’t we all have our share of bad habits at work, and taking accountability for our negative behavior will help define us as a better person.

Benjamin Franklin had advice for such a journey: Don’t eat the elephant in one sitting. Old Ben worked on one bad habit a week.

But where to start? Here’s one idea. To shake things up, instead of a usual to-do list, this week why not write out a do-not list? Put on it everyday actions you want to do less of—insist I get my way, horde credit for every success, eat junk food, make unnecessary comments in meetings, daydream I’m Batman, etc. Who knows, a week of reading such jarring reminders may help us improve in at least one area.

The point from all this is simple: Take small steps to do more of the things that lead you to a better place and less of the things you consider bad habits.




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