Article - September 2011

Rules of office engagement: 3 Top tips for workplace survival

Forsyth Business Centre’s are renowned for offering a comprehensive set of onsite services, from serviced office space, meeting rooms and conference facilities to secretarial services, maintenance and the latest in IT infrastructures.

However, Forsyth also understand the dynamics of working relationships that take place within the 4 walls of your rented office space, so they thought it would be handy to give you some small indicators towards having the best attitude when that all important business start-up or new regional office gets off the ground:

The Workstation

To ensure you are in the right mood to combat the daily routine of life in a new office, you can at least make sure that your own immediate working environment offers the best sanctuary possible to facilitate a peaceful working life.

You may not have much room at your desk, but there are still ways you can personalise it and let people know it is ‘your’ space and thus needs to be treated with appropriate respect. The most important thing would be to try and keep your desk tidy. Sounds simple, but it can be so easy to let it slip into chaos and it doesn’t leave a very good impression of yourself with either your bosses or visiting clients alike.

Once your workstation has been tidied then you can add the personal touches, like a small pot plant, your favourite cuddly mascot to watch over you and pictures or images which relax you or inspire you into working hard, such as family, a sun-soaked beach or other things you enjoy doing in your spare time.

Resist getting involved in hearsay or office gossip

This is actually harder than it sounds, because we are all suckers for a bit of gossip. If we weren’t then reality TV programmes or soap operas wouldn’t be so popular. However it can be a dangerous game if you reciprocate and indulge in some yourself – before you know it you are the one being labelled the office gossip and all your credibility goes out the window.

You are at your most vulnerable when you start a new position at a company, because there will be lots of people around you who wish to mentor you, and a lot of the messages will be mixed as they ‘explain’ what the other people in the office are like to work with. Often people have their own private agendas in the workplace, so it is best to assess every person you come across fairly and at face value, while trusting your own instincts.

If you have a creative idea which you think your boss would like, make sure you take that to them personally and don’t be put off with comments such as ‘The boss doesn’t like to be bothered with that sort of thing’. There isn’t a business owner in the world who doesn’t like to hear new ideas which could potentially drive the company forward into making more profit, the trick is to choose your moment carefully, when they are not in the middle of something else.

Always make a point of saying thank you or giving praise

If someone in the office has helped you on an important project, whether it was their job to do so or they went ‘the extra mile’, then make a big deal about saying thank you to them or giving praise for their efforts, even if the project was not as successful as first anticipated. Casually saying thanks is not good enough, because if you progress in your career these same people are the ones that can either underpin your success or be the loose foundations that bring it crashing back down to earth.

Take your co-workers aside individually, and let them know how much you appreciate the hard work they put in. Then to back it up and make them realise you were being genuine, have a de-briefing meeting with all members of the team, congratulating them all on their efforts and address each person individually in front of their co-workers to thank them for their help. Asking for feedback about how the project went for them personally is also a good way of showing that their input is valued.

Being positive about your fellow workers is an important way of showing you are a team player and that their efforts are appreciated. On the flip side of the coin you must resist the urge to get drawn into making negative statements about people who may not have pulled their weight. If your boss asks what you think of John, who maybe hasn’t impressed, deflect the question by mentioning someone who has, for example: ‘I can’t really comment on John, but Richard has always been happy to contribute to any projects we have worked on together ’.

This article was brought to you by Forsyth. For more information about their business services or rented office space then either visit Forsyth.co.uk or contact them on 0800 731 5928.