HOW TO: Be a Better Coworker

Coworking has become a big trend in the tech and startups space — an
office full of people working on different things, who have no
official ties to one another.

Because of this, it can be hard to get the behavioral balance right.
Should you treat your coworkers as colleagues? Is it polite to just
get coffee for yourself? How do you know when someone wants to chat or
just be left alone?

We’ve talked to experienced coworkers from all around the world to get
their Dos, Don’ts, other etiquette tips and general advice about how
to be a better coworker. Whether you’re interested in the concept, new
to coworking, or even a veteran of the shared office, we think you’ll
find some useful tips here. And, as always, please share yours in the
comments below.

1. Employ Audio Etiquette

Getting the sound balance right in a coworking space is crucial to
success. One area that’s rife with potential for annoyance to others
is noise. When you get down to it, people are there to work, and your
noise pollution, whether that’s your phone ringing or a loud meeting,
could be a distraction.

It’s not rocket science to work out how to keep a lid on the volume.
As Lupo Montero, “village wizard” of E-NOISE says, “the most basic
politeness rules apply like anywhere else.”

“In my personal experience, when I moved into The Cube, I was working
with a small team of three people, which meant that now in a shared
space we would need to find alternative spaces to have meetings,” says
Montero.

“Coworking spaces are great for many reasons, but there is a small
price to pay in terms of privacy. A very obvious ‘don’t’ is attempting
to have meetings in a room with other people who don’t care about what
you are talking about and who are trying to concentrate on their own
work.

“Most coworking spaces offer meeting rooms for this reason. I would
say do consider that you might need to leave the room to answer a
phone call (not to annoy your coworkers) and do expect to have to make
special arrangements to host meetings, workshops and so on,” Montero
adds.

“Don’t talk loudly on your phone or act like it’s your own private
office space,” agrees Beth Charlesworth, director of A Little Bird
Told Me, while Tom Cox, founder of 15gifts.com advises “going to a
quiet corner for those important calls.”

And even more annoying than talking loudly on the phone is not
answering it at all. “Yes, the ring on your cell phone is really funny
but if you leave it on your desk when you head out for lunch and it
rings for the entirety of that time, it won’t be here when you get
back,” warns Alexandra Kruse, community cultivator at Office Nomads.

Steve Grigory, VP of marketing at eVenues suggests a simple solution:
“Think about turning the ring volume on your cell phone down in the
office since the phone is always near you and doesn’t need to be at
the volume level of ‘I want to hear it ring on a crowded bus.’ Do you
really need the phone to buzz, beep or vibrate every time you get an
e-mail or a text in the office?”

Read the full article on mashable.com