19. Be sensitive to friction

"My job is secure. No one else wants it." Bumper sticker

When you are running a team you are dealing with people. And sometimes they take it into their heads to rub each other up the wrong way. Why? Who knows. They just do. They encroach on each other's space, pinch each others biscuits, take each other's parking spaces. Who starts it? Who knows. Can you let it go on? The hell you can. It has to be nipped in the bud. You have to be sensitive to friction almost before it begins - and do something about it. There is no point letting it go on for a day longer than it needs to. But to do this you really do need to be on the ball. You have to know your team very well indeed to spot those first early warning signs.

If you don't nip it in the bud it will grow into a monster. From tiny nit-picking you'll end up with full-scale war, with the rest of the team taking sides.

What to look out for? Silences when there shouldn't be. Odd complaints, 'God, I wish Clare would stop nattering to me so much'. Grumblings and bitchy gossip. Fierce competitiveness where there doesn't need to be any Sudden appearance of demar­cation lines, such as pot plants to screen desks. Books or computers on desks being used to screen or shield people. People being left out of social invites. People being left out. of office humour.

I'm sure you know as much about this as I do and keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground. The secret is stopping it before it gets too bad. Here you have to be diplomat, parent, politician, referee. You mustn't be seen to be taking sides. You must be seen to be taking swift and resolute action, making it clear that feuding won't be tolerated. Call them in. Reason with them. Separate them. Swap their shifts. Keep them apart. Make them work together as a partnership. There are a whole raft of things you can do, and I'm sure you'll pick the right one at the right time for the right situation.

20. Create a good atmosphere

"Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart." Henry Clay, 19th-century American politician

Creating a good atmosphere isn't only easy but also essential. If your staff are sullen and despondent and depressed and surly - it shows. It shows in their work, the way they handle customers and colleagues, the way they relate to each other and most importantly the way they work with you and for you.

It takes nothing to say good morning politely and mean it. It isn't a chore to make sure everyone has got a coffee or tea for a meeting. It takes a second to ask, 'How are you today?' The three rules for any workplace are:

politeness

friendliness

kindness.

Yep, we've all known the bosses who shout and are rude and belligerent, but, like the dinosaurs, they are a dying breed and we can move on. People are entitled to:

respect

civilized behaviour

dignity.

If you can't give them these things you shouldn't be a manager. But I'm sure you can. Creating a good atmosphere is easy. It comes from the top down. It is your job and your responsibility to be cheerful, considerate, polite and helpful. Your people are one of your most important resources - your tools, your weapons of mass achievement. Without them you are nothing. With them you are a team. Use them kindly and don't abuse them. Be genuinely interested in them and their lives. If you don't have time - make time.

I guess the word I am looking for is 'courtesy'. An old fashioned concept, I'll grant you, but one that gets mountains moved, doors opened and staff working shifts they would normally have refused to do.