Workplace Mistakes That Make You Appear Unprofessional

Running late to work in the morning might not be your biggest problem. No one intentionally wants to annoy the boss but sometimes we unconsciously develop some irritating habits.

Many times these leave us looking unprofessional, weird, and very annoying. Here are five irritating habits to avoid.

1. Mixed Signals

Packing up before asking if they need any more help is one of the most annoying things you can do at work. Asking if they need help when you already look ready to leave sends mixed signals.

"I can't say yes because your computer is turned off, and you have nonverbally communicated that you are ready to go,"

explains Amy Levy-Savage, president of Amy Levy Public Relations.

2. Inability To Prioritize Important Work

Ian Wright, the founder of Merchant Machine, revealed that one of the things that annoy him most is when an employee "prioritizes unimportant tasks over the most important ones." Focusing on small inconsequential tasks instead of important core tasks sets everything back in the long run.

Focus on important tasks. Businesses rely on certain tasks to be completed as soon as possible as they add to the value of the business.

3. Making People Wait

As annoying as showing up late to work is, it is even more annoying to show up late to a meeting. By delaying your attendance you are essentially disrespecting your coworkers and the meeting organizer. You send the message that your time is more valuable than theirs.

"Keeping people waiting can be construed as inconsiderate, rude, or arrogant,"

says Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette and civility expert and author of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom."

4. Interrogating Them On Every Assignment

While there may be no stupid questions, some are certainly annoying. Especially when they sound like you are simply trying to avoid doing the assignment by pretending to not understand.

Occasionally referred to as reverse delegating, asking your boss a huge multitude of questions on a project so that they feel it would be faster to do it themselves is extremely annoying. Your employer expects you to "be empowered to take enough ownership to complete a significant portion of the assignment without having to consult" them.

"When you receive a new assignment, gather your questions, and pose them in an organized way. Never just spout out question after question off the cuff."

says meeting organizer, Vicky Oliver, author of "301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions," tells Business Insider.

5. Claiming Understanding When You're Confused

On the flip side, pretending you know what's going on and understood the brief is just as annoying. Do not be afraid to ask for clarification.

Ilene Marcus, founder of Aligned Workplace and author of Managing Annoying People, explains that when you say you understand, your boss assumes you have the situation under control. Imagine their annoyance when you are forced to admit you're on a completely different wavelength halfway through a project. This ends up costing time and money that no one intended spending on the project so speak up immediately when you're stuck.