Mistakes Women (and Men) Make

Barbara Reinhold, author of Toxic Work had an interesting article on how Women Can Be Their Own Worst Enemy on Comcast's career page.  She lists 9 MO's that can get women in trouble.  With the exception of error #9 - flirting with men to get your way - each of the "errors" she identifies are equally common among both genders.  The mistakes I see people make most often are:

• Wait for permission
• Have a broad vision, but be unfocused in implementation
• Spend more than you can pay for

I really like it that she included the point about personal finances.  So many people get caught in bad career situations because they put themselves in a bind financially.  One of the best ways to enjoy your career from the beginning is to spend less than you make. 

And regarding her advice about flirting with men - yes it's 2007, and yes we strive for equality in the workplace, but I still occasionally see women resorting to flirtatious behaviors in order to further a work relationship.  Reinhold is dead-on with her advice that:

"It always comes back to haunt you in the end, however. Get promoted on the quality of your ideas, hard work and ability to enable teams to work together."

Well said!