10 in 10: Joshua Gledhill is a Product Management Assistant at ROCOL,

Joshua Gledhill is a Product Management Assistant at ROCOL, is the latest regional business professional in the hot seat as The Yorkshire Times gives him just 10 minutes to answer our 10 burning questions.

What does a typical working day for you involve?
8:30am; as soon as I walk into the office, I make myself a strong cup of Yorkshire Tea – naturally!
I’ll then drink this whilst checking my planner to see what tasks I have outstanding. Typically, I’ll spend the rest of the day helping create and drive product strategy. Whether this is working with our Technical and Marketing department on a new product launch, liaising with operations and sales on which product pack size best meets our customers need or working with our distributors to create and display great digital content: it usually involves talking to people to get the information we need to align our product strategy to deliver high quality products in the best way to solve our customers problems.

What makes your company special?
It is super cliché, but it is without a doubt the people of ROCOL. ROCOL is a seriously old and established company, which means there is a vast amount of knowledge and expertise held within the business. From our Warehouses to the Development labs, the level of understanding of our customers and the markets we serve is immense. It is often joked at ROCOL that if you cut a team member in half, they would have the ROCOL logo running through them like a stick of rock! It is the dedicated and committed team that make it so special.

Do you have any business rules that you swear by?
Whilst E-mails are a great communication tool in certain situations, they can’t beat a good old-fashioned face-to-face chat or a phone call, especially if it is your colleague you’re contacting! I always try, where appropriate, to first speak to the person then follow this up with an email. It may seem like unnecessary extra effort, but I find it saves time in the long run, avoiding miscommunication.

Do you dress up or down for work?
Somewhere in between. I am a big believer that you should dress to reflect your personality. I always try to dress smart and professional, but I think the days of a suit and tie being the only way to achieve this are long gone, bring a bit of colour into the office.

What piece of advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
SLOW DOWN! Some things need time and patience, you cannot achieve every goal or task you have on your list instantly. Avoid rushing which can create substandard work, approach things methodically and you’ll find the outcome much better.

What’s your favourite Yorkshire venue for an event or team away day?
Being a Leeds based company – many of our team events are held in Leeds city centre. My favourite venue we have used is Roxy Ball Room. It’s great place for the team to bond over a (healthy) dose of competitiveness at the shuffleboard! They have a private section which is bookable, they’ll supply it with a great food platter and beer on tap, add that to the various games in the room, what’s not to love?!

How do you prefer to travel for business?
I love travelling by train. Aside from the great environmental aspects, it gives you a great chance to get that extra bit of preparation in! Even if you’re fully prepared and ready to go, the journey is a great chance to relax and compose yourself so you’re in a good frame of mind for whatever you are travelling to!

What’s your favourite place in Yorkshire to relax?
My partner and I love escaping to Ox Pasture Hall which is a beautiful country hotel up in the Moors. The scenery is stunning, and it is perfectly placed for lovely walk in the Moors – take your hiking boots. You will be needing the walk to burn off the delicious Yorkshire breakfast. After spending a night there we usually spend the next day in nearby Scarborough for a bit of Seaside fun.

Where is your favourite place to eat in Yorkshire, and what dish do you recommend?
Scarborough Fisheries in Thornhill, Dewsbury. It won best portion of Fish and Chips in Yorkshire a few years ago. It is owned by my family, so I may be a little biased, but I think it serves the best Fish and Chips in Yorkshire!

What do you miss most about Yorkshire when you are away?
A weird one here but the water. Yorkshire Tea tastes no where near as good when it is brewed outside of Yorkshire. Yorkshire Tea + Yorkshire water = heaven in a teacup.