7 Ways Superstars Sabotage Their Promotion Potential

7 Ways Superstars Sabotage Their Promotion Potential7 Ways Superstars Sabotage Their Promotion Potential Youre a professional. We dont need to tell you to come into work on time or to elend lie on your resume , because, to you, thats common sense. But could you be doing something else that will sabotage your reputation - and get in the way of that promotion youve got your heart set on - without your knowing it?As self-aware as you strive to be, you cant catch every possible reputation misstep before it happens. Thats why we connected with 15-year Human Resources veteran Jen Kusznir, whos seen every kind of employee make every kind of mistake.Heres her take on seven things even superstar employees can do that will derail their upward career growth.When you dont show up for a Halloween potluck or a holiday party, it gets noticed, says Kusznir. Outside of legitimate scheduling issues like planned vacations or childcare , not showing up makes it seem like you dont k now youre part of a team - and thats not a promising thing to see in future leadership.Whether your companys events are painfully boring or youd just rather stay home to watch Netflix, remember that your presence matters. Dont skip company events unless you have an important conflict, and even then run it by your manager to let her know why you cant make it. If you get a reputation for skipping anything social, coworkers may hesitate to connect with you during business hours, too.Everyone is so busy today , and it feels like I hear, Ive got so much going on all the time, Kusznir says. When you tell people how busy you are every time they talk to you - even when its true - it feels like youre trying to play the victim or make a power play about your availability. Worst case, it can make it seem like youre trying to get out of taking on more projects, and that will follow you.Boycott the word Busy from your vocabulary. If you absolutely must express the fullness of your calendar , try saying, This week has been crazy or Ive had such a rich and varied schedule this week Such a small tweak may not seem like a big deal, but it will have a positive impact on how people view you.In one situation, a very talented employee wore dark-colored clothing and was covered in pet hair, explains Kusznir. It got to the point that team members would put things in the extra chair in their cubicles so that she couldnt sit down and leave pet hair all over the chair.You should be well known for your work - not the work people need to do to clean up after you when you meet with them. Check yourself for all basic hygiene before you head into the office, whether that means skipping the extra spritz of Eau de parfum or stashing a lint roller in your glovebox.Todays employers accept more casual business wear than ever before, but dressing very casually all the time can harm your reputation, notes Kusznir. If youre happy where you are, by all means dress casually, but if youre loo king to progress you need to dress in a way that allows management to easily visualize you in that new position.Looks arent everything, but they do impact how people view your sense of self-respect, experience and authority. If you want to be known as someone to be taken seriously, the phrase, Dress for the job you want, still applies.If youre complaining about management, people will often join in, says Kusznir. But if youre complaining about another employee , its going to get back to someone and come back to hurt you. If you want a promotion, you dont want to be known as someone who cant keep private information private.Whether youre known for trash-talking your meeting mates when the conference call is on mute, or you just like to chat at the water cooler, speaking negatively about your coworkers is one of the most thorough ways to dismantle your reputation. Instead, train yourself to only speak positively when in the presence of those you work with and save all of your constr uctive criticism for face-to-face.Over the years my managers would throw out different chances to pitch in So-and-so is out sick, can you check her messages? or Can someone stay until 430 today?, says Kusznir. Employees who never volunteer for anything when help is needed - who always do the bare minimum - may be good enough to keep their jobs, but theyre not going to move up or be considered favorably when its time to assign raises .In a competitive job market, above-and-beyond is the new minimum. It may not be strictly required that you volunteer for different assignments or bothersome tasks, but your reputation depends on how frequently and how willingly you volunteer your time and resources.Of course, theres no hard-and-fast rule about having to be available for every kind of work when you have legitimate limitations We had an employee who, for childcare reasons, always had to leave work at 330pm sharp, shares Kusznir. Whenever someone called in sick and needed someone to m an the phone until 500pm, she could never do it. But whenever anything else came up, she was the first to jump on the chance to help as a way to make up for the fact that she had to leave early. Because of that, we thought very favorably of her, and, even though she never stayed late, we considered her a superstar employee.Often when employees are superstars, theyre used to being superstars, says Kusznir. They were superstar students, and superstars at other jobs - which means it can be hard for them to go through the process of making a mistake and accepting constructive criticism without taking it personally.Dont let yourself be known as someone who cant take criticism - that alone can limit your career advancement options in a flash. Accept that everyone makes mistakes and needs critiques at times. In fact, its the number one way to grow and become well-known in your field .You can work as hard as you can and say all the right things to the right people , but at the end o f the day if your reputation isnt stellar, you wont advance in your career. Double check that you dont fall victim to any of these mistakes.