Hard-working, well-intentioned employees frequently hinder their career advancement by self-sabotaging behaviors that they aren't even aware of.

As an executive coach, I studied 100 client cases to determine the top five self-defeating behaviors people have:

• Talks too fast: Speed makes what you say seem unimportant if you're heard at all.

• Tells too much detail: When asked the time of day explains how to build a watch.

• Judgmental towards others: Doesn't "suffer fools" lightly and most everyone seems a fool.

• Critical of self: Too much self-talk about inadequacies.

• Weak body language and speaking voice: From nervous gestures to poor posture to timid voice tones.

Most people want to do better in their career and they think working harder on the technical side is all that matters. Competence is generally there, what bosses are looking for is the separating factor of executive maturity as expressed in behaviors.

Bosses say they don't know how to approach telling the employee without shattering them. But the behaviors end up making or breaking a career.

I tell clients (executives in Nabisco, Gillette, Pepsi-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Mattel, Unilever, and NASA) the truth in a caring, straightforward manner.  I tell them what behaviors to substitute. How to talk clearly and audibly with purposeful delivery. How to set themself up for the next level in the organization. How to modulate voice and facial expressions. And how to relate to managers and executives.

For talented, energetic, hard-working employees eliminating poor behaviors will get you up the ladder farther, faster.