How to Practice Office Etiquette

Office environments have changed dramatically in recent years. Knowing and practicing good office etiquette has become more important as quarters have become tighter, offices are sometimes shared and workers frequently eat meals at their desks. Being considerate of those around you will be very much appreciated.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Cubicle Life

1. Treat cubicles used by a co-worker as if they had a door. Don't enter unless you've knocked, and ask permission to come in before you do. If someone is on the phone when you approach his or her cubicle, don't interrupt. Wait at a respectful distance, so as not to appear as if you are eavesdropping, or come back later.

2. Borrow office supplies only after asking permission. If you use the last of something, be considerate and get a replacement for it.

3. Know if your company has a policy about decorating your cubicle. Even if they don't, keep your decorations tasteful and to a minimum.

4. Be aware of the volume of your voice; keep it low and don't use the speakerphone. Others around you are trying to concentrate and they don't need to be distracted by your conversations. Keep personal phone calls to a minimum.

5. Keep your cubicle neat and organized. It reflects on others' opinions of you, and you want to present a professional image in all ways.

Working Out of the Office

6. Be considerate of those in the office if your job allows you to work from home on certain days, or if you are on the road more often than in the office. Be sure that your absence doesn't mean your co-workers end up fielding your phone calls all day, handling things you should have taken care of when you were in the office.

7. Inform your co-workers of your whereabouts so they can reach you at any given time. Allowing your flexible work schedule to create a situation where you often seem to be unreachable puts you in a bad light.

8. Practice good office etiquette if you use a common area or share a desk with another co-worker with flexible hours. Leave the area neat and orderly when you leave.

Eating at Work

9. Eat quietly. Keep the scraping, chewing crunchy foods and slurping the last of your drink through a straw to a minimum. Better yet, don't do them at all.

10. Keep foods with strong odors for enjoyment at home. No one wants to smell the fish you ate for lunch for the rest of the afternoon.

11. Find somewhere to eat other than your workstation. If there is a break room or cafeteria, use it when you break for a meal. Not only is it better for you to get away from your normal work environment for a while, your co-workers will appreciate you for it, too.

Meetings

12. Be punctual. Leaving co-workers sitting and waiting for you gives the impression that you think your time is more important than theirs.

13. Prepare for meetings well in advance if you are the one heading the meeting. Be sure the room has the materials you will need. Know what topics you need to cover and get to the point. Begin and end the meeting on time.

14. Turn off your cell phone during meetings. If you are waiting for a call that you can't miss, turn the phone to vibrate and leave the room should you have to take a call.

15. Return the meeting space to the condition in which you found it before you leave, particularly if you were the one who called the meeting. Clean off dry erase boards, throw away any trash and push the chairs back to the table.

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