13 of 13 things that annoy your staff: Being referred to as one of your "girls."

As in, "I'll have one of my girls call you."

Yikes!

If one of your daughters is working the front desk, then sure, you can have one of "your girls" make the call. But if no one on your team came from your loins, or is a minor, then this level of familiarity is inappropriate.

It's often perceived as condescending and disrespectful, minimizing and objectifying your team of paraprofessionals. It suggests that you may not have much regard for them. It's dismissive and could indicate that a boundary between a personal and professional relationship has been crossed.

Our words reveal our heart.

Thankfully, many team members will extend you grace and not confront you on this outdated languaging. Especially if you display other charming old-school behaviors that suggest that you're a lovable codger or geezer.

Bill Esteb has been a chiropractic patient and advocate since 1981. He is the creative director of Patient Media and the co-founder of Perfect Patients. He’s been a regular speaker at chiropractic gatherings since 1985. His 12 books explore the doctor/patient relationship from a patient's point of view. His chiropractic blog, coaching program, patient focus groups and consulting calls have helped hundreds of chiropractors around the world. Since 1999 Monday Morning Motivation has been emailed to over 10,000 subscribers each week.