Three Ways to Better Your Office Etiquette

Do you practice proper office etiquette? Proper office etiquette is much more than simply saying hello to everyone with a smile every morning, it means treating others with respect and with common courteously.

This might sound easier than it really as there may be things that you currently do that will offend a co-worker without you even realizing it. Here are three easy ways in which you can better your office etiquette and leave people with nothing but nice things to say about you:

Take it Off Speaker: This is a tip for those who share office space, such as in cubicles. I used to share an office space with a co-worker and he would insist on putting all his calls on speaker phone. While the sound of the other person on the line was annoying enough, what always happened was my co-worker would almost yell his conversation. This made it extremely hard to concentrate and left me with a bad opinion of my office co-worker when it came to his manners. The moral of the story, take the phone off speaker and keep it down, you are not the only person in the office.

Stop Eating at Your Desk: You never know what odors may be vial to others, even if you think they are the most fragrant and delightful in the world. For example, I love spicy food, but that doesn't mean that everyone else loves the smell of what I enjoy. To avoid making anyone nauseous by accident, always eat in a break room or outside and never at your desk. That way the smells of food stay out of everyone's work area.

Avoid Gossip: Avoid office gossip, avoid it like the plague. Office gossip may be fun while it is going on, but you never know who will tell who what. This can create a great deal of animosity between you and your co-workers and really, work is no place for gossip. If you only have nice things to say about everyone, then that is all they will be able to say about you in return.

The old saying from the Bible goes, "Do unto others as you would have done to you." This is a statement that should be applied even more so while you are in the workplace. Having proper office etiquette will help you to get along with everyone and will also allow you to be recognized for your honest efforts and your positive tendencies, not your annoyances.

Source: Poshmonkey, 30 Tips on Office/Cubicle Etiquette - tips, tips.nuvvo.com