5 Ways to Become Everyone's Favorite Coworker
So you love the coworking environment. But are you a good fit for a coworking space? Within a collaborative office space, every worker has to get along in order to create a productive ambience. So what can you do to become a better coworker? Read the five tips below and you'll easily become one of the most-liked guys in the office...maybe.
1. Respect the space
Coworking is all about sharing a space. Therefore, the space that you are working in belongs to everybody in it. It's important to treat a coworking space with respect. Because when you respect the space, others will respect you.
Keep your desk neat and tidy, pick up after yourself before you leave for the day, and mind others' belongings within the space. Offer to do more chores around the space than you normally would. This may mean emptying the dishwasher, locking up after work, changing out toilet paper, and making coffee more than others do. In addition, don't hog bandwidth, meeting rooms, and desk space. It's these little things that make a difference, and it all starts with respecting the space in which you work in.
2. Actually cowork
If you're stationed at a coworking space and treat it like your own personal office, you may not be in the right location. Coworking offices are built for interaction, so keep in mind that you are highly encouraged to interact with the people around you. Bounce ideas off of other coworkers, give expert advice to those who ask for it, and encourage the people around you to work hard.
3. Make the coffee
Coffee makes the world go round—especially in a coworking space. In a collaborative office, making tea and coffee for everybody becomes a much appreciated activity. One rule of thumb? Never leave an empty coffee pot. Allow coffee to percolate throughout the day and your coworkers will be happy campers.
4. Treat your coworkers
To become everybody's favorite coworker, you only have to do one simple thing: bring treats. The office will love having occasional treats every once and awhile. They provide a great "break" for the hard workers and a medication for people with a sweet tooth. Bring cookies, cupcakes, fruit, and even leftovers to the office to share with others. And if it's somebody's birthday, bring something extra special for that person. Treats bring happiness to an office environment.
5. Lower the volume
If there is one thing that will annoy your coworkers, it's loud, obnoxious volume levels. A coworking space must provide the right sound balance in order for effective work to be done—but are you disrupting the peace?
If you want to play your own music, it is best to wear headphones. Having multiple songs playing in an office can cause a headache to everyone. Additionally, if you have a long phone conference that you must conduct, it is best to take it to a meeting room for privacy. Keep your voice at a respectable level throughout the work day.
Implement these 5 tips into your everyday coworking routine and you're sure to be the least-annoying, best-treat-giving, idea-bouncing, coffee-offering guy in the office. And who wouldn't want to be that?