Open office etiquette

The open office workspace is a source of constant debate. Whether you like it or not, you may well end up working in one. How can we maintain a pleasant and productive open office culture? Well, as you’re aware, we humans have five senses: hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste. Disturbing any of our senses interferes with concentration, decreasing comfort and productivity in the workplace. On the other hand, being mindful of our senses is a great way to foster a happy shared environment. Since we spend a large part of our existence at the office, we should all strive to make it as enjoyable as we can for everyone.

Hearing

The art of keeping noise levels to a minimum

Noise complaints are the most common open office concern. We all get it. Plus, let’s be honest, we are all a bit at fault here. Be as tolerant as you are mindful.

Tips & tricks:

• Avoid conversations in the open
• Phone sounds & notifications off
• Ban speaker mode on phones
• Do phone calls in an isolated location
• Never address the whole open space
• Avoid tapping or humming
• Use small conference rooms for discussions
• Invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones

Sight

Be tidy & help reduce visual pollution

It feels great to work in a visually pleasing environment. I strongly believe this contributes to better performance. We all have a different chaos tolerance, but let’s not kid ourselves: a stack of dirty dishes is not visually pleasing.

Tips & tricks:

• Keep your desk tidy
• Don’t stock personal belongings in shared spaces
• Keep pathways free
• What you don’t use, you don’t need

Smell

Be mindful of odors

This one’s pretty self-explanatory.

Tips & tricks:

• Eating fish in the open space: NOPE.

Touch

Respect personal space

Open is not public. When personal space is limited, people tend to care more about what they have left. So, again, be mindful.

Tips & tricks:

• Don’t use someone else’s belongings without asking
• Don’t use others’ desk space
• Ask for permission before entering someone else’s personal space
• Don’t use someone else’s chair without asking
• I get it, you have the longest legs on the planet. Keep them on your side of the border though

What about taste?

Cause sharing is caring

Taste doesn’t make much sense here. Get it? Sense. Nevertheless, it can help build a bond. Like they say: ‘a full belly and a happy heart’.

Tips & Tricks:

• Bring goodies to share like donuts, chocolate, homemade stuff treats
• Prepare tea or coffee for your colleagues

The sixth sense

Allow for concentration & be sensitive

People are not always available, even if they are alone at their desk. Assume they are busy and that interrupting them will break their concentration.

Tips & tricks:

• Don’t just go yelling: I see dead people!
• Poke people via Slack (or your preferred instant messaging tool) to allow them to respond when they’re ready
• Some days people just aren’t in the mood to chat, respect that
• Oh, and if you are sick, stay at home

Conclusion

In the end, open office etiquette boils down to a mix of tolerance and mindfulness (and a whole lot of good common sense!). Work in the team’s best interests and act as you would like everyone else to act.

Simple, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯