What's Worse Than Office Gossip?

What kind of behavior is most likely to draw a pink slip? Sloppy work is the number one offender when it comes to behaviors that annoy CFOs most, according to a recent Accountemps survey. While 41 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said lacking attention to detail and doing a poor job are the behaviors that bother them most, gossiping or engaging in office politics came in second, cited by 23 percent of respondents.

"Having to constantly double-check someone else's work is a sure recipe for tension between co-workers," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit for Dummies, 2nd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). "The success of any team depends on everyone carrying his or her weight."

Regarding office politics, Messmer noted that a certain amount of political maneuvering exists in nearly every organization, but it's wise for employees to not get caught up in it. "Office politics can damage your credibility," he said. "The most successful professionals build relationships with colleagues -- they need this level of trust for effective collaboration."

Also on the list of major pet peeves were "missing deadlines" at 18 percent; "being perpetually late" at 12 percent and "presenting others' ideas as one's own" at 5 percent.

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