There is nothing more annoying than trying to get through that PowerPoint presentation due in the morning and then become overcome with the smell of a tuna sandwich from the cubicle next to yours. Now don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying don’t eat at your desk, we all need a working lunch every now and then. But to avoid getting on your coworkers nerves, we might just suggest being conscientious of what you choose and avoid anything that might make some people’s stomachs churn.
Curb Repetitive Sounds
This includes foot tapping, finger snapping, whistling and finger drumming. Though more often than not you might not be fully aware you are doing so, as you are deep in thought, we can guarantee everyone around you is. To help keep the eye rolls thrown your way to a minimum, try to cut out these repetitive sounds.
Cut the Gossip
There are various levels of relationships within the office, pure coworkers, office friends, out of office friends, the list goes on. But with that comes various levels of knowledge about each other’s personal and professional lives. So-and-so might be having a bad sales month or what’s-his-face might be going through a bad breakup, whatever the situation it’s not for you to discuss. Leave those conversations up to the individual and out of office chatter.
Take the Personal Calls Elsewhere
We all get that the world doesn’t stop moving just because you’re at work. Sometimes you’ll get a call from a doctor or your mom. Even though the shared office space is cluttered with calls throughout the day, these types of calls do tend to throw off the cadence of the workspace. Simple solution, step into the hallway, empty conference room or even outside to take the call.
Nix the Constant Complaining
We all have a love hate relationship with work at times. Whether it’s your computer crashing without saving that sales deck you’ve been working on for two weeks or a challenging vendor, no matter how much you love your job, we all have those days. So no one needs to add to their personal stress with your latest ‘crisis’ being broadcasted across the office. Find someone to pull aside and talk to the situation about and take the conversation out of public airwaves. Once you’ve sufficiently complained, leave it there and move on. Your work and coworkers will thank you.