Don't be like Bob!

Surround yourself with like-minded individuals with the same kick-ass attitude as you and watch the magic happen!

The best teams I have had the privilege of being part of are the ones who would literally lay down their life for you and they know you would do the same. The team’s core values shine through and their trust wouldn’t even be questioned. It’s very rare to find a team like that but when you do embrace and cherish the moment, you will certainly notice when you don’t have it. I am not just talking about the Police, this might relate to the office you work in, the football team you play in, or even the team of networkers you associate with.

When a police officer is in trouble they can press their emergency alarm, which is a little red button on their radio, which makes a sound, which I can only describe as a gut wrenching punch to the face alarm that transmits to all radios in that divison. The officer has a few seconds of open air mic where they can scream, shout or relay any information they can across the airways, for all to hear.

When you hear that sound it stops you in your tracks, your heart sinks and you immediately get ready to run to their aide. Someone is in trouble and they need your help.

A busy late shift on a Friday night and you’d be lucky to have the time for food but a rare moment of calm meant that I could stop off at my favourite place, I couldn’t wait to enjoy it.

I was enjoying my healthy snack, ok, it was a chicken kebab with chilli sauce and a portion of small chips, yum, my meal of choice. You know when you walk into your favourite place and they shout your order for you before you’ve even said hello!

“Hello officer, small chicken kebab, chilli sauce and chips.”

“Umm yes please!”

I was tucking in back at the nick canteen, when a fellow officer pressed their alarm. Without hesitation I stood up, left my food and ran to my car, however I had left the car keys on the table, so had to run back to grab them. I was stunned to see a newbie scoffing his face with McDonalds with no intention of moving. For the purposes of this blog we will refer to said newbie as Bob!

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Eating, it’s my dinner.”

“Unbloodybelievable”

At this point screams are vibrating down the radio, your heart sinks.

“So you’re just going to sit there Bob?”

“Yes.”

“Disgusting, I’ll remember that when you press your alarm.”

I turned and ran out the door; I held it together but was so disappointed by Bob’s selfish attitude. I jumped in the car and attended the scene.

I was starving and hey I had just paid £7.50 for my favourite meal but seriously people, is it worth leaving your fast food to help someone who potentially is at risk of serious harm or death, you bet it is.

Never had a witnessed an officer openly ignore a colleagues cries for help and luckily I never witnessed it again, but I bet it goes on even now.

Think about your current work colleagues, can you seriously say you would ditch the food to help them?

Can you trust that they would ditch the food to help you?

Great teams achieve great results and are more productive. You have a healthier work-life balance because you enjoy working with your team and in turn this improves your mental health.

If you currently don’t have that you will experience what I like to call

‘A sod that attitude’ Or a ‘me me me attitude.’

“Can you work overtime as we are short staffed?” “Sod that.”

“Can you help me with some work, I’m snowed under?” “Sod that.”

“Can you collect something for me?” “Sod that.”

These people, aka Bob, are toxic to your business or organisation; they are toxic to other members of staff, they change the working environment so much so that staff members will start to look elsewhere.

If you asked 5 ex members of staff to describe your business, your organisation, your team, what do you think they would say?

Luckily Bob who opted for the McDonalds over helping someone didn’t last long; I don’t even think he lasted through his probation period! Good job and good riddance.

How do you create a helping environment when you are running a business by yourself?

To start you need to get out there and meet new people.

Submerge yourself in people’s knowledge and learn from them.

Surround yourself with the people that make you buzz.

Create a network of like-minded, kick-ass, motivated people and push the toxic ones aside.

Watch and follow the people already doing what you want to achieve.

Read books that will inspire you to take action.

Teach your kids the fundamentals of living a positive life and lead them on the journey with you.

Collaborate with these people and educate each other.

Help someone with thier goals.

Surround yourself with like-minded individuals with the same kick-ass attitude as you and watch the magic happen!

Employed or employer, how do you create a kick-ass environment?

It is every ones responsibility to embed the core values throughout the organisation but what happens when you get a Bob or more than one Bob, what can you do?

Coach and train staff. A job should be more than just coming in and doing what you have to do, the bare minimum, then going home. Staff members have an opportunity to come in and make a difference.

A simple ‘team building’ weekly schedule could start to change the environment.

Get to the route of why people are being like Bob. Maybe it’s time your employer sat down with you all and had an open and frank discussion, laid issues out on the table for all to see.

Sometimes someone might be acting the way they are for a reason and might not necessarily realise how they are making others feel.

Staff training – don’t assume your staff know everything. If you’re as curious as I am you will want to learn new things. Introduce a monthly training programme.

You should employ people based on your core values. Do they have the right attitude? What is their personality like? Step away from the normal 1 hour question and answer interview style and do something different.

Collaborate, help others and work smart.

This is basic stuff and I could go on and on but I won’t!

I’m going to end with a very quick story of a time when I pressed my alarm.

“If you don’t handcuff me NOW, I am going to kill you.”

“Ok that’s exactly what I’m going do then.”

Scary man lunged forward at me and I reacted by pressing my alarm. I shouted what I could down the airways before fighting with this man in the middle of a road at 3am.

Within a minute, officers from another County appeared from nowhere; because I was nearer that County then I was my own. A minute seems like a long time when you’re desperate for help but I was just grateful for the help. The teamwork from the moment I pressed my alarm to the moment the suspect was put into the back of the van, handcuffed, worked like clockwork, because that is what you’re employed to do, think about others before you think about yourself. You join the police because you want to help others.

We need more of this in everyday life.

This man had some serious mental health issues and a year later, went on to kill a member of his own family, but that’s for another day.

The next time someone asks you for help, take a moment before you answer and think about Bob.

Don’t be like Bob!