Do You Do These Embarrassing Things At Work?

Life has a way of humbling us.  I know this to be a fact, as I have experienced first hand, or have overheard many of these embarrassing comments below.  While many are just plain embarrassing, some may actually ruin relationships as well.  Lets take a look at a few I know all too well. 

• Asking a woman at work when her baby is due if she has not told you she is pregnant. Many years ago while working a trade show, a woman approached me with a protruding stomach that looked as if she was in her ninth month of pregnancy. Having just had my first child, I was anxious to talk to her about her upcoming delivery. When I asked her for her due date, she looked at me with a fallen face and said, "I am not pregnant!" There was no hole big enough for me to climb into or a table I could crawl under to hide my embarrassment. I will forever remember the look on her face of humiliation and how I put that look there.   Always have a woman tell you if she pregnant....never assume it!

• Replying to an email without watching the thread of conversation. While this is not an example of making an embarrassing comment, it does show how unprofessional you are if there are hurtful words about your receiver or others in the long thread of conversation. I have seen careers damaged and sales lost by not checking the email in its entirety before sending.

• Inviting a co-worker to a party or event you are hosting in front of others that are not invited. This may seem like something a child should be taught when very young, but there are many adults that do this without thinking.  If you want to invite someone to your event and you are not inviting everyone in your office, mail or email the invite directly to the person.  Or if you need to talk about the event with the person you want to invite, do so where no one can overhear.   

• Calling women in the office "girls'. Now before I get into why this is a major business faux pas, let me tell you that not all women are offended by being called "girls". With that said, most of the higher educated, higher income earning females want to be called women. Some people use the word "gals" as the equal to "guys" but I would recommend not going there. Just use the phrase "women" in the office when referring to a group of females.

By stopping to think how your comments or actions will impact others, you will soon learn how to reduce or eliminate these embarrassing moments in your life and career.