Q I've become good friends with the five people who work at my company,http://users.atw.hu/probdesign/index.php?site=forum_topic&topic=12327cheapjordanshoesfreeshipping.com/bolg.
We have more lunches together,jordan shoes, socialise more often after work,cheap real jordans, and there's generally a more casual,http://users.atw.hu/conflux-mg/index.php?site=forum_topic&topic=15648cheapjordanshoesfreeshipping.com/bolg, jokey tone around the office. However,jordans for cheap, I've noticed more and more missed deadlines. How can I reinforce my leadership position without undoing any of the rapport that we've created?
A You're experiencing a common problem. New businesses are often established with the help of close friends and family,cheap wholesale jordans.
Indeed,cheap jordans online, when my great grandfather opened his first shop in Manchester in the 1860s,cheap jordans, he employed several sisters and two brothers-in-law,cheap jordans for sale,http://users.atw.hu/team-axone/index.php?site=forum_topic&topic=12146cheapjordanshoesfreeshipping.com/bolg, but there was no doubt who was the boss. He made all of the major decisions and the rest of the family followed his lead.
Although you haven't employed your friends, your recruits have become close pals and you're paying the price. Every team should have a happy and friendly atmosphere, but the leader must clearly be in charge.
You need to establish your authority. In doing so, you will stop being everyone's close chum,Kicksokok.com, but should gain the respect that you need.
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If you all remain best mates, the business will continue to suffer.
By being buddies, you've been sending the wrong message. It isn't surprising that some colleagues have taken ?advantage and become less conscientious. The casual atmosphere makes it difficult for you to be the boss and for your team to toe the line.
Certainly, try to keep a strong bond with your colleagues and do go for the odd beer after work or have a meal out to celebrate success, but even on those social occasions remember that you're the boss, not simply one of the gang.
It's time to get your colleagues ?together for a formal chat. Raise your concerns about the missed deadlines and lack of standards, but recognise that you have not given them clear leadership.
By indicating a tougher approach to discipline, the social relationships will change and you will find that it ?becomes a lot easier to do your
job.
It's good that you have recognised the problem before it is too late.
Q I'm a manager at a creative business and we're coming up to a four-week period when my team's work is reduced quite a bit, but I'm worried about idle minds. Can you think of any activities or projects that could be a better use of time than twiddling our thumbs?
A Don't waste this great opportunity by letting your colleagues stare out of the office window, counting the hours before they can go home.
Turn your dullest time of the year into a fun month. Run a tidiest office competition, where staff clear away clutter and make the place immaculate (with a trophy for the tidiest patch), or have a "bring your kids to the office" day (Timpson colleagues had the day off for their child's first ever day at school – it was a great success).
Have some activities that get everyone out of the office. Organise a treasure hunt that takes colleagues on a fact-finding local history tour, or devise a day in the mould of the weekly challenges from?The Apprentice, splitting the office into two teams with a moneymaking objective – perhaps try an art challenge, where the team that receives the most money by selling their own artwork wins.
Ask your team what they would like to do and browse the internet to discover the range of activities available. Go-karting, clay pigeon shooting, canoeing, off-road driving,?It's a Knockout?games and a wide selection of adrenalin-packed challenges are great alternatives to a boring day in the office.
You may think that this has little to do with business, but it should do wonders for morale and show how much you care about your
people, which is why you should also give them a few extra days of paid holiday. You will see the benefit when the office gets busy again.
Sir John Timpson is chairman of the high-street services provider, Timpson.?Send him an email at?askjohn@telegraph.co.uk

Colin Jackson’s decision to reveal on Monday, in an interview with Swedish television, that he was gay prompted a familiar reaction on social media.

There were plenty of tweets of the ‘quelle surprise’ variety – which rather missed the point. A lot of “this isn’t a story” and “does it matter? It’s 2017 for goodness sake?”, which, although well-intentioned, again missed the point.

Clearly it matters or else Jackson would not have felt the need to deny the speculation for so many years, worried by what people – including his parents – might think of him or how such an announcement might affect his career.

A few joked that the most shocking thing about the revelation was that the ridiculously young-looking former hurdler was now 50, which was, indeed, shocking.

What was abundantly clear, though, at least from an initial reading of the blogosphere, was that there was no animosity directed towards...