The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 5: Autumn 2017 | Page 27

PERSONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

ANNOYING HABITS by Jo Kangurs , KeystoneHR

We spend more time with our work colleagues than we do with our family and friends so the chances are you have come across someone who ’ s mannerisms or behaviours drive you a little bit crazy .
A number of surveys have been carried out recently which have identified the most annoying employee habits . These include :
• Talking too loudly on the phone
• Bring smelly lunch in to work and eating it at your desk . ( Also on subject of food , taking other people ’ s food or leaving mouldy food in the fridge .)
• Whistling or singing at your desk ( and this usually applies to the ones that can ’ t hold a tune )
• Opening the window or adjusting the air con to suit yourselves without any consideration for others in the office .
• Using office jargon . You know the kind , “ blue sky thinking ”, “ helicopter view ”….
I ’ ve also come across an employee who had a bell on his desk and every time someone sneezed in the open place office , he would ring it and shout “ sneeze alert .”
Also , a very senior manager who used to take a teddy bear into meetings and insist that everyone in the room introduce themselves to the bear before the meeting could commence .
Whilst most of the time everyone gets along just fine , occasionally there is the risk that annoying and disruptive behaviour can escalate in to bad feeling and distract employees from focussing on their roles .
So what is the best way to tackle these annoying habits ?
Firstly , that there is no ‘ one size fits all ’ solution and every situation is different . It is important to identify what impact the employee ’ s behaviour is having on productivity , morale , team working etc . and if it is having a detrimental impact , you need to tackle it as quickly and as sensitively as possible .
More often than not employees may
not be aware that their behaviour or habit is distracting those around them so a quite word might be all it takes . However , some issues may require a specific policy to be communicated to all staff or a general principle that clearly defines how employees are expected to behave within the workplace .
Whatever approach is taken it is important to remember that we are all human . We all have an annoying habit or two , so before deciding whether or not to address the issue , carefully consider the potential outcomes and remember that what the employee brings to the business may far outweigh any annoying habits .
If you have any potentially tricky employee issues you would like to discuss please get in touch for a free , no obligation chat .
For more info : www . keystonehr . co . uk
@ keystone _ hr
Nicola McHale is Vistage chair for the South West , a private advisory group for business leaders . To complement our ‘ Top 100 ’ feature Nicola gives her advice on how to rise to the top .

What makes a top 100 business ?

So what makes the difference that makes the difference ?
Have you got what it takes ? Maybe you are already there , but want to make it to the top 10 ?
After working in my own business and growing it from nothing to a company with 22 global business coaches , working across the world with a subsidiary in Singapore and as your local Vistage Trusted Peer Advisory Group Chair , here are my thoughts .
1 KNOW YOUR NUMBERS Ask yourself - do you know and have the KPIs that really drive your business forward ? Do you have the financial numbers ready to hand , in the form you need and do you fully understand them ? Are you focussed on achieving successful results ?
2 SHARED VISION Do you have one ? Is it shared , clear and inspirational ? Does everyone understand it ? Do they know what part they play in it ? Do they know their ‘ make or break activity ’ which must be done to deliver the vision ? Create a shared vision and values owned by all . 3 PEOPLE Do you have the right people ? If not , why not ? Are you good at exiting the wrong people in the right way at the right time ? Is your recruitment process consistent with your vision and values ? Do you have a robust performance management system ? Are your people really engaged ? Do you know what motivates them ? Recent Gallup figures suggest that only 19 % of your people are actively engaged , 61 % not engaged and 20 % actively disengaged .
4 CUSTOMERS Are you customer centric ? Do you understand the huge correlation between employee engagement and customer engagement ? Are you confident that every interaction with your customers is a positive one ? Do you survey to see how your customers feel about your business ? Do YOU engage with them ?
5 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Are you at the front edge of innovation ? Do you know the trends in your business sector , do you know what your competitors are doing ? Are you confident your services will still be relevant in the future or do you need to change now ?
6 LEADERSHIP Are you a great leader ? Are your people loyal to you ? Do they feel trusted by you ? Are your senior leader ’ s great leaders too ? Do you have a fantastic team below you ? Do you have high performing people ? Do you invest in them ? Are you open to learn ? Are you good at delegating ? Leading a business is stressful , it can be a lonely place and you can feel isolated so the most successful leaders have someone to turn to , someone to help them build their business . That someone should not have a vested interest . They should challenge you in every way . The Vistage Trusted Peer Advisory Group does just that . A Group of CEOs , MDs and business owners meet regularly to solve the members issues . Why not join one ?
Nicola McHale Vistage Chair and
VI International Master Coach
nicola . mchale @ vistagechair . co . uk Mobile - 07887 616606 UK . linkedin . com / nicolamchale
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