On Being a Better Co-Worker

Co-worker relationships can be tough to navigate. How do you confront annoying behavior or bad manners without throwing off the comfortable and open vibe of the office? Hopefully everyone in your office is respectful and mature enough to handle a little constructive criticism, but it's also important to make sure you take responsibility for any inappropriate behaviors you may be exhibiting at work. Here are a few ways to ensure you're being a good co-worker:

Leave Their Stuff Alone
So you need some return address labels to send out a marketing mailer, and you know there's a stack in your co-worker's desk drawer. It can't hurt to grab a couple of sheets, right? It doesn't matter if you're doing something as small as snagging a few office supplies or as big as scrolling through your co-worker's inbox. Be respectful, and leave everyone's stuff alone. And if you need a few extra mailing labels or legal pads, just ask a supervisor or office manager!

Respect Their Time
If you regularly show up to meetings late or fail to respond to emails, voicemails or instant messages within an appropriate amount of time, you could be making some other people in your office angry. You may be feeling over-scheduled or over-worked, but that's something to bring up with your manager. Your scheduling issues shouldn't affect other people's ability to stay on track.

Keep To Your Own Space
You have your own dedicated work area, so even if you sit at a pod of connected desks, it's important to keep yourself and your stuff in your own space. You should also ensure distractions like smelly food or loud music are kept to a minimum. If you eat lunch at your desk (which you should avoid!), make sure it's something that doesn't smell strongly, and wear headphones instead of playing music out loud.

Stay Positive
We all have that co-worker who would rather complain or vent than come up with constructive solutions to problems. While venting is a sometimes necessary way to let off steam, it shouldn't be done during working hours. It fosters an insidious negativity that can travel through the office and make everyone unhappy. Keep venting confined to after-work happy hour, and focus on finding solutions when you're at work. 

Respect Communal Items
If you use the copy machine or printer for a huge project, replace the paper. If you bring a three-hole punch and stapler to your desk from a conference room, replace them when you're finished. Don't forget that other people need those items as well, so be respectful.

Take Responsibility (Not Credit)
If you're part of a team or working on a big project with others, make sure that credit is given where credit is due. It's underhanded to take credit for something a co-worker accomplished, and it will likely lead to a lot of resentment directed your way. In the same vein, take responsibility if you failed to meet a deadline or something else went wrong. Then, get it done. Others will respect that approach much more than if you lean on excuses.