In terms of your job, the rapport that you have with your boss is the most critical one. It can affect the direction of your career, and how much you can learn in your role. While office politics and differing management styles exist in most organizations, here are 10 things that will get you in any boss’ bad books.

1. Gossip

Of course, socializing is an important part of making the workplace enjoyable. However, there is a difference between casual mingling with coworkers and engaging in inter-office gossip. Getting caught up in rumours of office soap operas are not productive to your job and gives your boss the perception that you are distracted from the tasks at hand.

2. Be afraid to ask questions

Your boss expects you to ask questions, particularly if you are new to your role. “Take the initiative to clarify requirements of assigned tasks with me so that I know you are on the right track” advises Donna Marie Antoniadis, Chief Operating Officer of ShesConnected Multimedia Corp.. Inquiring further about vague areas of a project and seeking clarification serves to improve your ability to perform your job well.

3. Be a “Yes” man/woman

Constantly agreeing with your boss gives them the impression that you are unable to think for yourself. If you have a difference of opinion, express it politely. This will open up your boss’ eyes to where you may have some strengths or insight into a particular area of the business. You may find that they will ask for your views on more issues, in order to get helpful feedback.

4. Whine

Chronic complaining about petty issues drives not only your boss crazy, but also everyone else within earshot. Not everyone will agree with your thoughts. Your boss is likely dealing with projects that have weighty responsibilities. They may find your complaints trivial, and not relevant to the business. There are times when drawing attention to issues is warranted. However, constantly going on and bellyaching about it becomes whining – and irritating.

5. Kiss up

A boss can sense when their employee is kissing up to them, and it can be awkward. In addition, you are simultaneously creating a reputation for yourself as the office brown-noser. This is not how you want to build your personal brand. Your boss will wonder why you are putting so much effort into kissing up to them, and not as much into doing your job.

6. Play the blame game

Constantly blaming others, and not accepting responsibility when things go awry translates into you not wanting the accountability of important tasks. No one wants to work with someone who is not mature enough to recognize the error of their ways, and step up to the plate to fix it.

7. Step on your boss’ toes

Taking initiative is a trait that bosses appreciate in their employees. Stepping on their toes is not. Always run your ideas, solutions, questions, and proposals by your boss first, and ask for next steps. Going above their heads or behind their backs gives the impression that you are trying to step into their role, or believe that you can do their job better than them. Keeping your boss out of the loop on what you are doing, and treading into tasks that are in their territory without telling them may leave them feeling threatened and offended.

8. Run personal errands

There never seems to be enough hours in the day to take care of private affairs. Understandably, from time to time you will have to leave early for an appointment, call in to check up with your financial planner, etc. However, these behaviours should be limited to the bare minimum. You are not being paid to do your own personal banking online. Your boss hired you to do your job. They will notice that you are taking care of personal business during work hours, and will view it as a negative trait when assessing your performance. Try to manage personal errands outside of work hours as much as possible, so as to not leave your boss with the impression that you are easily distracted by your private life.

9. Be offended by constructive criticism

Your boss gives you constructive criticism to assist you in becoming a stronger employee. View them as tools to help you improve yourself and understand what you can do better and how. Your boss wants you to strive to be the best that you can be in your job. Their critique of how you are managing your role and tasks are suggestions to help you achieve your goals.

10. Take on more than you can handle

Spreading yourself too thin may result in you not being able to focus on the tasks at hand. Raise the red flag and alert your boss to situations where you need more resources, are burdened with too much, and learn to say “no” when you realize that the workload is unmanageable. Many times, they are unaware of what your threshold is. The last thing you want is for your work to suffer because you didn’t have enough time or help to get the job done right. Notifying them when you are reaching your capacity demonstrates maturity to your boss, and shows them that you know your limits.