More and more businesses today are choosing to share office space due to cost and convenience reasons, but it can come with some problems if employees are not mindful of their workspaces. Just like sharing an apartment with someone, there is a certain office etiquette that employees need to be aware of. Shared office spaces can be the right choice for many businesses, but in order to make it a success, it is important to keep these tips in mind:
Communicate and Compromise
Just like any personal relationship, a relationship between two employees who share a space requires a lot of communication and compromise. Communicating in an effective manner is crucial to avoid stepping on the toes of your office mate. Rather than silently fume over your cubicle-mate’s annoyingly loud music, asking them if they could turn it down before you blow up over a small issue will avoid a huge fight in the future. They could have personal habits that they did not realize were annoying and will more than likely be fine with accommodating to your needs. Likewise, you need to be willing to compromise and be responsive to your habits as well.
Find a Large Enough Space
Cutting costs is the main reason why employees share office space, but cramming employees into an unreasonably small office space is a recipe for disaster. Employees need to be able to have at least some space that they can call their own, whether it is a small corner or an actual desk. Places such as YourOffice Ballantyne offer large suites that come with many perks to keep employees happy while sharing office space, and YourOffice Ballantyne also offers two months free rent to keep the costs down. Choosing a space that doesn’t cram too many employees into one area is the key to employees being happy and productive. In addition, larger spaces allow for more privacy between employees.
Focus on the Positive
While sharing office space may not always work for employees who have very different ideas of office etiquette, there are still many benefits to choosing to share an office space with someone. Focusing on these benefits can help improve the relationship between employees. For instance, being able to have your co-worker act as a sounding board and to bounce ideas off is a definite perk of working in the same office space. Working together can make you more productive, and collaborating on projects will allow you to potentially lighten your workload for each other. A survey by Deskmag found that people who work in a team are more creative, confident, and productive, which can help them put forth the best results for a business. This collaboration can be easy when two employees are sharing an office space and both stand to benefit greatly from collaborating.
Sharing an office space can be great if the two employees sharing it communicate well and make a great team. Other employees may need to work a little harder and be more aware of office etiquette in order to avoid unnecessary challenges. However, focusing on the positives of a shared office space can benefit both employees and the business overall.
