Good Work Habits: 20 Examples to Boost Your Productivity and Career
When you’re looking to have a successful working life, make sure that you have good work habits. These are what make the difference between you achieving success or simply failing.
It takes a lot of time to get good work habits in the workplace. Depending on the productive work habits, they may take between 18 and 254 days to maintain and make them part of your routine. Despite the term, it’s completely worth it.
Each day, you have a new opportunity and room to grow.
What Are Work Habits?
Simply put, work habits are positive routines, activities, or behaviors that you adopt before and during work. No matter if you complete tasks in an office or at home.
Just think of your everyday work practices. What do you usually do first thing in the morning when you get to work? Probably, you’ll check your emails or talk to your coworkers. This is a habit that you acquired without even noticing. You can see it as a work habit if it brings benefits.
The most important thing about working behaviors is that the habits you develop allow you to be more productive and energetic throughout the day.
Why Good Work Habits Are Important
Good habits at work not only improve your focus and concentration but also, by helping you make the most of your time, boost your productivity. In addition, you may notice that you are less stressed when you finally develop them.
The importance of good work habits lies in eliminating the consequences of bad ones:
- Protect against burnout;
- Help to support life-work balance;
- Let you career growth;
- Heal your body and brain.
How to Build Good Work Habits
If you’re serious about developing good work habits and incorporate them into routine, start with these steps:
#1: Look Into Your Working Style
When you have your own working style, you understand what conditions are best for you. For example, if you are more creative working at home than at the office, develop good work habits around this fact. Don’t force yourself to go to the office. You’ll get more output, be more productive, and more energy for this and other tasks.
#2: Add Good Work Routines Throughout Time
While you may be eager to incorporate positive work routines into your daily practices, it’s best to focus on only one or two behaviors at a time. When you’ve established a routine with these, you can gradually add others.
#3: Use Time Management Techniques
Time management techniques alongside positive work behaviors will help you develop and maintain good work habits for much longer. In addition, you can expect to be less distracted and more focused on your tasks.
20 Good Work Habits Examples
#1: Punctuality
Being punctual is more important than you think. It's a way you prove your reliability and express respect for people’s time.
When you're always punctual, others understand that they can count on you to meet due dates and deadlines.
Start by avoiding long personal breaks, as well as always arrive at meetings on time.
#2: Communication Is Key
No matter if you’re communicating with your manager, boss, team, or stakeholders. Without any doubt, communicating effectively is a good work habit that you should develop. It’s important to keep in mind that communicating isn’t simply speaking clearly. It also involves writing clearly, responding accordingly, and listening well.
Let’s say you’re managing a project that needs to be delivered next week. Instead of simply telling your team so, you can communicate it more clearly.
For example: “We must complete this project by next week. So it happens, we need to finish concrete tasks. Let’s make sure that we talk about the tasks that are still missing and check if there aren’t any roadblocks.”
As you can see, if you talk like this, you’re already explaining what is missing, and anticipating you can help solve any task that is still in progress. You’re also saying that you’re active listening to the team and their problems.
#3: Stay Organized
It’s difficult to stay organized for many people. No matter if you work in an office, at home, or both, it's important to have such good work routines.Organization and planning are great habits that you should adopt because it’s critical to be productive.
There are some tips to help you put all working process in right order:
Divide Your Work Into Different Lists
It's one of the good habits at work that will help you stay organized. You may use different lists for tasks that are fast, medium, or take a lot of time to complete, divide between the ones you need to do alone and the ones you need the help or cooperation of a teammate, for example, among others. You can do this on a piece of paper or use a tool to help you, like Flowlu. Here you may use a GTD-inspired task list, Gantt charts, Kanban boards and calendar to organize your tasks. For example, you can create custom lists for your tasks that match how you actually plan and work
During this stage, look at those things you do that are time-consuming and don’t bring anything new to your work.
If you’re used to checking social media constantly, know that it takes a lot of time. With this bad habit, it’s easy to lose track of time. That’s why, try to avoid this even during your work breaks.
Learn To Prioritize
Many people have difficulties in establishing priorities. Even if these operations are already set by the manager, some people find it hard to comply with the order of the tasks presented.
Take a closer look at your tasks. Which of them are dependent on others? The answer allows you to know what needs to be done first. In addition, leaving the most complex tasks to the end all the time isn’t a good solution. In fact, it’s one of the worst bad work habits you can have. Instead, you should divide complex tasks into smaller, simpler tasks and get them done one by one.
The guru of productivity, David Allen, invented a great method to prioritize your activities and always be organized. Explore GTD, or Getting Things Done method, to learn an effective time management strategy.
Stop Multitasking
In what comes to multitasking, while some people advocate it’s the best thing they do, for others it is just impossible to do. That’s why it can be considered among both good and bad work habits at the same time.
Real practice shows that multitasking isn’t an effective solution because it sometimes brings more problems than good results.
The business world started to change their attitude to multitasking due to Dave Crenshaw, who dispelled myths about multitasking in his book of the same name.
The reality is that you can’t do something right without paying attention. If you’re trying to do 2 or 3 things at the same time, you won’t be able to complete your work as quickly as if you focused on one task. Therefore, stop multitasking today and dedicate your time and attention exclusively to a single activity.
Plan Your Day
This is a good work habit for a successful career because it will certainly help you become more productive. Take the time to define your goals first and then think about the responsibilities to achieve these same goals. Use time management techniques, as well as prioritization and visualization tools, to help you.
#4: Pay Attention To Details
That technique allows you to immediately notice your work improving. This is a fact. You’ll see the positive effects on your reputation, team efficiency, and, consequently, on your company’s success. The oversights and errors will be substantially reduced, as well as wrong decisions.
Turning this into one of your good productive work habits isn’t difficult, but it will take you more time.
Imagine you need to write a report for your client. The first thing you want to do is review all the data and write it down carefully. Then, revise the information to make sure it’s free of typos, clear, professional, and accurate.
#5: Be Proactive
Being proactive or taking initiative doesn’t mean you’re returning to the first years you joined the company. In fact, it should be a good habit that you have and maintain throughout your entire life.
More than ever, companies are looking for employees who don’t need to wait for orders. They notice what needs to be done and take action. This is one of the good workplace habits because it prevents headaches and keeps everything running smoothly.
For example: imagine you spot a problem at work. If you see a way to make a process more efficient, all you need to do is share your idea with your coworkers and manager so everyone benefits.
#6: Never Say “It’s Not My Job”
Today’s reality is very different from the circumstances a few years — or even decades — ago. In the old days, an employee would stay with a company for their entire career and would only be required to perform specific tasks.
Today, things keep changing at a fast pace, and companies can no longer rely on “static” employees who can only do a couple of tasks. Employees also need to change and adapt to new circumstances. They learn new skills and study how to do completely different tasks.
In the eyes of the company and managers, you’ll be seen as adaptable and demonstrate team spirit.
#7: Welcome Constructive Criticism
Many employees hate all types of criticism. And while you can take this position when criticism is just to make you feel bad or down, your approach should be different in what concerns constructive criticism.
Using constructive criticism as a way to improve is a good example of good work habits examples. Let’s say that your boss usually tells you that your reports are very short, don’t include all the information they should, and are filled with typos. Instead of feeling sad and demotivated, you should take the opportunity to evolve and make this a part of your good work habits list.
#8: Be A Team Player
Whenever possible, teamwork is always preferable to individual work, since work will be done faster and smoother.
To ensure you turn this into a good habit, you and other team members need to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Why? Imagine that you’re working on a project and someone is having difficulty with a task. Other team members can help him with it, allowing the work to be done on time.
It’s important to keep in mind that being a team player doesn't mean that you will do all the work for others. However, you can sometimes help, show empathy, offer constructive feedback, and support.
To be a team player means working in a shared space. Even remotely, you can be close to colleagues with the functional power of digital tools and software. Services like Flowlu not only bridge the distance, but automate routine project’s tasks. With specialized software, nurturing good habits becomes easier and faster.
#9: Dress Accordingly
The way you dress up to work shows a lot of yourself and how you feel. The right clothes and outfits should demonstrate respect for your workplace and be within the company culture.
In case you’re looking for a promotion, you should consider dressing a bit more formal than you normally do. This will show that you’re not only professional but also have ambition. As usual, you should consider the work environment as well as the culture of the company and the country you live in.
#10: Have A Balanced Work-Life
Let’s say that you’re eager to get that promotion and that you’ve been working hard to demonstrate it to your boss. You should also take some time for your personal life to prevent burnout
Maintaining a good balance between your work and personal life is crucial. So, you should try not only to acquire good work habits but also good personal habits. And you may start by establishing a timeframe when you will only spend hours with your family or with other personal activities. As soon as you start doing this you’ll notice your stress level decrease.
Here are some things you can do to help you get this balance:
- Have your work hours well-established
- Take breaks throughout the day
- Take time to relax and enjoy your favorite hobbies on a daily basis
- When you’re on your personal time, you should turn off work notifications.
#11: Overdeliver
Many people look at work and only see the minimum they have to do to maintain their job. We are sure that you don’t identify yourself with them. On the contrary, you want to be a good professional. So, you should consider overdelivering, which is the same as saying you have to do more than people expect.
If you’re wondering why this is a good habit, well, it’s simply because you’re showing you’re dedicated to work. Besides, it can bring more good things to you, like a promotion, for example. Or you may start to be seen as someone to stand up to. This will ultimately help open some doors to you.
#12: Don’t Procrastinate
While you may not see it this way, the truth is that procrastination is a bad habit. When you procrastinate, you accumulate your tasks until a point where you are completely overwhelmed. Some people may even experience burnout symptoms. So, you need to put a stop to this, and now is the right time.
When you just want to postpone your tasks, there are two other things that come together with it: the lack of motivation and the lack of discipline. They may come both or just one. What matters is that you are ready to turn this procrastination into productivity and into something more important — a good habit.
So, as you can easily understand, you’ll need to get motivated and find the discipline first. In reality the results won’t be immediate, but you’ll get there.
You can start by:
- Determine a motivation for every task you need to do.
- Start by doing the more complex tasks.
- Have limited and well-limited time to check personal email and social media.
- Set a schedule for the following day.
- Stop putting pressure on yourself.
#13: Smile And Be Positive
Many people who see these characteristics in someone think the person is nice, it’s much more than this. Smiling and a positive mood at work can truly be one of the best examples of good work habits you should develop. Don’t believe us? Just think of the following scenario: you’re in a meeting with your team, who is very worried and stressed about a project.
If you walk in with an honest smile and a positive attitude, you can be sure that you’ll positively influence your team. You’ll be delivering confidence and calm.
If you can turn this into a habit, you can be sure that your workplace will be not only happier but also more effective.
#14: Meet Deadlines
Meeting deadlines is crucial for both teams and the overall company. After all, the entire company reputation may be on the line when you constantly fail to meet deadlines.
To make sure that you always meet deadlines from now on and build a good habit, you need careful planning. Start by looking at the tasks and plan them accordingly as well as you should add reminders for when sub-tasks need to be completed.
Meeting deadlines is a very important part of your job. By meeting them regularly, you’ll be able to enhance your reputation, not to mention that you’ll help your entire team succeed.
#15: Keep Learning
Another good habit that you should adopt is keep learning to ensure you are always up to date with industry trends and get more skills at the same time. This will help both your team and organization.
Imagine that you’re a project manager. You can always take some certification exams to ensure that you’re ready to take on bigger projects.
But there are other situations. Let’s say that you’re in the marketing team and that you decide to learn more about customer data in your free time. You may then start analyzing the company’s data and come up with better marketing campaigns. This won’t only be good for the company but also for yourself. After all, you may get a raise or be promoted. The secret is continuous improvement.
#16: Admit Mistakes & When You Don’t Know The Answer
No one knows everything. This is a fact. So, why should you? However, many people, when at work, think they must know everything even when they don’t. And this is just the attitude you should avoid.
Instead, you should create the good habit of admitting when you’re wrong or when you made a mistake as well as admitting when you don’t know the answer. While in the first situation, you should apologize to the person who was affected by your mistake, in the second one you can admit that you don’t know but still offer your help to find a solution.
#17: Ask Important Questions
Many people don’t like to question others, no matter if their team mates, the project manager, or the boss. However, asking questions that matter can be a good habit that you should develop.
Important questions should be seen as those questions that are open-ended and that can provide more collaboration and understanding.
For example: let’s say that you’re working on a new app and that the client asks for a new feature to be added. Instead of asking when you’ll be adding it, you should ask how this feature aligns with the main goal of the app or how the established priorities will be managed.
As you can see, these aren’t traditional questions but effective communication that can bring positive discussion and may even help anticipate problems and issues.
#18: Don’t Gossip
Everyone knows that an office is a traditional source for gossip. However, you should avoid being part of it since it can bring division between coworkers as well as put trust on the line.
Gossip doesn't need to always be about someone who made a mistake. It may also be related to potential layoffs that can bring a lot of anxiety. No matter the case, both situations can move the focus and attention from important tasks.
So, it’s time to put a stop to gossip.
#19: Be Kind
Many people believe that if someone is kind in the workplace it is because they are soft. Well, kindness and lack of personality aren’t the same thing. When you are kind, you are not only building strong relationships but you’re also improving the workplace atmosphere, encouraging teamwork, and boosting productivity.
Let’s say you’re working on a project with other colleagues and notice one of them is struggling with a task you could help with. You should step in and offer help. But if you were unkind and let your colleague continue to struggle, this would end up affecting the project, maybe even delaying it. In addition, the relationship with your colleague wouldn’t be the best one either.
Can you now see and understand the power of kindness? We’re sure you can and you’re ready to start gaining this new good habit as well.
#20: Follow Company Vision & Beliefs
You should always adapt your mindset to ensure that you follow and comply with the company’s vision and beliefs. Ultimately, you’re only making sure that you’re aligned with the company’s goals.
Imagine that one of the goals of the company is to provide the best customer service in the industry. To make sure that you are aligned with this goal, you need to always do your best to ensure customer satisfaction.
You may do it by resolving issues fast, active listening, and always taking note of customers' feedback.
Bottom Line
When you're looking to boost your productivity and career, it’s crucial to develop good work habits. We have shown you useful ideas for career success and the importance of planning a working routine in accordance with them.
Keep in mind that these examples of good work habits will take time to develop but it’ll get to a point where they’re part of you. Remember to be patient and just pick the good habits that make more sense to you.
Even though we shared 20 good habits, you don’t need to adopt them all. The important thing is that you start now.
Many good habits are easy to adopt when you have a helper. A digital one is the most reliable. Simple, powerful software like Flowlu supports these habits in practical ways. It helps you stay punctual with time tracking tools, responsive through internal chats, and accountable by showing real task progress. Clear KPIs and reports make your productivity visible instead of assumed.
Build better habits and support your career with software that helps you stay consistent.
Simply put, good habits are routines that you use to determine priorities and that help you stay focused on work. Simply put, good habits are routines that you use to determine priorities and that help you stay focused on work.
There are good and bad work habits. So, it’s important that you identify the bad habits and replace them with good ones. Some of the most common bad habits include procrastination, gossip, and vague goals.
First, make a list of habits that reduce your productivity. Don’t try to quit all bad habits at once. Choose only one or two to start. Breaking a bad habit is just as difficult as cultivating a good one. Some people believe, to quit a habit you need to withstand the same amount of time you spent adopting it.
A good practice is to replace bad actions with good ones, or reintegrate it. For example, if you’re procrastinating, allow you to waste some time, but change the content: instead of scrolling social feeds, read useful articles or some chapters of a book.
