Being good all the time can be hard work and sometimes you feel it is hardly worth the effort but if you could wish away a few of your bad habits – how different would your work life be? We all have colleagues with annoying traits and if you don’t then you may well be the one with all the bad habits! Here I have listed a fun way to identify and manage them:
- Identify – find out what your habits are and which are less than attractive, ask your colleagues to write down 3 of your habits which they find aggravating, fold them up and place them into a bowl. Once you have them all (now this is important) do not take them to heart as you are actively looking to remedy the habits, by being proactive you are taking the right steps to a happier work environment. Now compare all the results and pick the 3 most popular to work on. To make this an inclusive and more fun exercise – why not ask everyone to do the same.
- Penalty – having identified your 3 bad habits you then need to set a penalty for each time you do one of them. A “swear box” for want of a better phrase, can be used. Set a fixed penalty cost for each habit.
- Replace – it is a common theory that to lose a bad habit, you should look to replace it with a good habit. Find something else you can do which is positive and helps to fill the void.
- Reward – at the end of a set period of time, say a month or two – take the penalty cash and go buy cakes for everyone. If it is a large office with everyone involved and a fair few colleagues are being fined regularly then the collection may be worthy of buying lunch in or a drinks kitty in the pub one evening.
Often we are unaware of our habits or unaware that they annoy others so it is important to highlight them and address them – this type of activity can be a real team building exercise and if facilitated professionally can really help build a much happier work environment for all.
With the Olympics domineering the TV, social media and the papers at the moment it is good to see the positive effect it is having upon individuals – I note gym attendance is up and local sports providers are reporting a record number of new members. What a fantastic thing to see! I reported on a community project last week which Village Games had organised a huge gathering with sporting taster sessions and am pleased to see further initiatives taking place. Community projects are often overlooked as they are deemed not significantly “flashy” enough for the project management world however I beg to differ as these projects often have significant outcomes and benefits are clearly recognised within the community – however the national press does not cover them as the stories are not deemed big enough. This is a shame as there is a lot to be learnt from such initiatives and presenting them to a wider audience may inspire others to take the lead and tackle a growing rise in individuals with nothing else to do. Also think about the demise of the high street – communities ripped apart by large chain stores taking residence in small towns making it impossible for independent traders to compete. Well the community doesn’t just lie in the retail area; I for one would love to see more community events which bring together locals working in a collaborative way to inspire and entertain others. Sport is a great way to get involved – I know form the work the Village Games do that everyone can get involved from very young to those in their senior years and of course those with disabilities. By creating a buzz in your area you can start to form new friendships and really feel a part of your community – which will have a knock on effect for those taking pride and assisting others to achieve their goals. Often we are not aware of issues in our community until it is too late and our facilities have closed down, taking an active inclusive approach to joining in and understanding our neighbours / local business people etc more we can help put a stop to the drop in social behaviour and issues which affect us all at some point. Actively engaging community support officers and making them aware of issues can really make a difference.
Do you know of any community projects which deserve some recognition? Let us know, we can help raise their profile and put you in touch with others who work in the field who may be able to assist you with funding and ideas to get you started.
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