Are you a wimp at work?

Sound familiar? Few people want to be "the bad guy" or to "rock the boat" (especially in a rough economy) but that instinct can be more harmful than helpful. Experts warn that passive behaviour -- where you constantly put aside your own needs, rights and opinions -- can actually have a negative impact on your career.

The mistakes we make

Isn't it better to "play along" or be "easy-going"? No -- because we're often trading short-term rewards for long-term problems. For example, passive workers often think they're doing the right thing when they make these mistakes:

- Avoiding confrontation. You're dodging stressful conflicts with a co-worker, but ultimately your long-term relationship with that person suffers for a want of good communication. If you're the one in charge of others, your workers may take advantage of the situation and your boss may think you lack strong leadership skills.

- Holding back your opinions (especially ones that contradict someone else's). You think you're keeping the peace by "going with the group", but you're actually sending the message that your opinions don't matter, you don't have anything to contribute or you lack confidence. In any case, you're losing the chance to demonstrate your skills and expertise while others have an opportunity to shine.

- Always agreeing. You want to be agreeable and known as the "nice guy", but you could be losing people's respect because they know you're not being straightforward. Your "yes" doesn't hold much weight because you're always saying it, and people will wonder what you aren't telling them.