Technology is around every corner of an office. And there’s nothing worse than being on an important call and the cubical next to you starts blasting heavy metal.
Everyone needs to share office space, so here are things we can do to make sure our technology isn’t creating problems:
Wear Headphones to Minimize Noise
Some of us like to rock out to some tunes while doing menial tasks at work, but other employees at your office may need silence to be able to concentrate.
Keep headphones handy if you’re going to listen to music or podcasts. It’ll help keep the sound from traveling outside of your workspace and make your neighbors much happier.
Put Your Cell Phone on Silent
Going along with limiting noise in the office, depending on your office size, the constant flood of notifications and ringtones could be overwhelming.
Set your phone to silent when you arrive at the office, and you can turn it back up when you leave for the day. If you set up a service like IFTTT (If This Then That) you can have the service automatically perform this task for you, so you don’t even have to think about it.
Use Reply All Sparingly
When a companywide or mass email is sent out, often only the person who sent the email needs to see the responses, not the entire company. Endless replies that copy the entire list not only get annoying, but they also add more junk to everyone’s already overflowing email inboxes.
Refill Supplies
When the printer runs out of paper at the end of your print job, don’t just walk away. Refill the paper in the printer, replace the toner when it runs out, and empty the shredder if it starts to overflow.
All of these things will help the office run smoothly. The rule of thumb is if it runs out when you are using it, replace it.
Don’t Touch Other People’s Tech
Is there a phone charging in the lunchroom? Did your neighbor leave their computer logged in? Another good rule of thumb is, if it’s not yours don’t touch it. You may need to use the plug in the lunchroom, but don’t unplug someone else’s device without permission.
Also, never use someone else’s computer or device without permission either, unless you need to change their background to teach them a lesson on leaving their computer without locking it.
Look Up
Our phones can do so much and are a window to our friends, family, and more. It can be really easy to get sucked into your phone and forget to pay attention to your surroundings.
Don’t walk around with your face buried in your phone. You will run into a lot fewer things if you watch where you are going. Plus, it’s the polite thing to do.
Office tech etiquette is pretty similar to everyday etiquette. Be courteous of other people’s time and personal space and your office will always be a pleasant place to work.
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