Welcome to Episode 36 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the unpredictable world of creativity & marketing.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, where we’re here to talk about 9 things you need to stop right now. I doubt that you’re doing them all right now, but if you’re doing just one of them, you’re doing one too many. None of them are going to advance your career or improve the quality of life. Number One:No Fish in the MicrowaveGodfrey Daniels, Mother of Pearl! I know it’s kinda funny, but…C’mon people, if you’re aiming to be hated, there’s no quicker way than to send fish smells waffing throughout the whole office. I’m serious. The bigger point is this: You share your space. You’ve got to take the feelings and olfactory senses of others into consideration. If you’re willing to be so careless with your food, then imagine what other thoughtless things you’re doing. Consciously or unconsciously. If there’s something fishy about your leftovers, there may be something fishy about you. Oh, and in the same vein, remember…Your music is your music. Keep it to yourself. Next…We Over MeI’m here to tell ya…People, we’ve got a pronoun problem!Too many people using I instead of me. Maybe they’re afraid of not getting their due credit.Maybe they’re just thoughtless.Or at worse, maybe they’re just megalomaniacs.Whatever the case, ya gotta stop it.It’s We over Me, people. We over Me.You want to build a team?You want to earn trust?Then you’ve got to share credit and spread the wealth.I, I, I isn’t going to win you any fans or allies.It’s just so obvious.Instead, be the one touting the accomplishments of others.You’ll find that they’ll tout yours.But it’s no quid pro quo.It’s just the right thing to do.Plus, pronouns are confusing.By the time someone finishes a story of any length, I can’t remember who “they” is or whether “us” includes me or which him or her is to thank or blame.What’s the easiest way to solve this? Curb your use of pronouns. Stop using them as much as possible. It will clean up your storytelling and emails.Moving on to #3…Stop Telling Everyone How Busy You AreI’m so busy…Thanks for reminding us all all the time, Great Advertising Martyr. Do you expect us to carry your cross? Really, we’re all busy virtually all the time. Now, of course there are times that you’re especially swamped. When that happens, quietly figure out with your boss or colleagues how to lighten your load. And volunteer to do the same when you sense that someone may be drowning.But it’s annoying to hear someone constantly carping about how no human being has ever been dumped on more than you. It brings everybody down.#4: Don’t Hookup with Co-WorkersDon’t care how hot she or he is. Don’t care how much you had to drink. Don’t hookup with co-workers. It’s the quickest way to office drama, HR nightmares and problems at home.20 years ago, I didn’t understand this and I wish I had. Could have avoided a lot of awkwardness. You don’t want to be doing the walk of shame into the office and past a colleague who is now a hookup. Because there’s no way of hiding from one another.That said, office romances can lead to serious commitments. Even marriage. If you’re heavily gravitating toward someone, step back and take the proper steps. Coffee. Cocktails. So on and so forth.And if something sparks between you and someone else, do yourself a favor and just inform the person you’re supposed to tell. Your boss. HR. Whoever. May sound rigid. But I’ve done it and it has made things a lot easier. Weird? Kinda. But it really does help.#5: Be Nice to Admins, Maintenance People, Everyone!!!As the old restaurant saying goes, if you’re not nice to your server, you’re not really nice. Same in advertising. Any business.