If we live with other people, whether it is friends, partners or family, we are living in shared spaces and we will be all too familiar with the many hazards and pitfalls that we encounter on a daily basis when it comes to infringements of territory, lack of consideration, disregard for privacy and so on. But in general, these are people we have chosen to live with, and we have a personal relationship with them or, in the case of children, are responsible for them. We should therefore be more able to negotiate difficulties, speak out about resentments and irritations and resolve disputes.

But work is a different matter. In an office environment, or a shared workspace, we are sharing a physical space because we must, because it is an obligation of our employment. We might be lucky enough to enjoy close and harmonious relationships with all our co-workers, but in many offices, we will be working at close quarters with people we barely know, or with people that we are seeking to impress, such as managers or team leaders. In these circumstances, how we behave in the shared workspace is open to scrutiny; it not only contributes to the positivity of the working environment, but it also has an impact on our personal reputation.

Clearly, it is to everyone’s benefit – most of all your own – if your behaviour in the shared workspace is impeccable and considerate, so we have put together the following recommendations:

Basic Manners

All shared spaces, whether they are domestic or professional, are improved by good manners. This means greeting people on arrival, exchanging a few words (eg “How are you?”, “What terrible weather!”, “Did you get stuck in that traffic jam on the way into town?” etc etc). These banal exchanges establish contact with other people and demonstrate friendliness – a simple greeting can sometimes come across as abrupt and peremptory.

If you are making yourself a tea or coffee during the day, it is always polite to ask the people sitting around you if they would like a drink. It is to be hoped, if they accept, that they will be polite enough to reciprocate on a regular basis. Certainly, if you are the lucky recipient of offers of drink, then you must ensure that you reciprocate. If you are offered a drink, remember to say “thank you” and not to just accept it as your due.

Keep people informed of your movements. If you’re going out for lunch, or running an errand, just mention it politely to your near neighbour – at least they’ll know where you are if questioned.

When it’s time to go home, don’t just slip silently away from the office. Announce your departure: say “I’m off home now – see you tomorrow!”. Saying an adequate farewell is just as important as a morning greeting, because it acknowledges the people around you.

Shared Kitchens

It is important that your kitchen manners are impeccable and that you do not become the much-resented employee who always leaves a mess, and never washes up their cups or lunch dishes, or puts rubbish in the bin.

You might be a domestic horror at home, whose spouse or partner despairs of your kitchen habits (smeared worktops, dishes left unwashed in the sink, dishwasher left unemptied), but you must put all this behind you as soon as you enter a shared workplace kitchen and follow the “leave no trace” edict. If you always clear up after yourself, you will be beyond reproach.

Remember, it’s not just about washing up. It’s important that you put items such as teabags and coffee back in cupboards, milk in the fridge, and so on. The troubling thing about workplace behaviour is that all your transgressions will be scrutinised in microscopic detail and will be held against you. It is important not to give your rivals or detractors any ammunition. It would be foolish to let your bad habits in the kitchen end up besmirching your professional reputation.

Eating in the Office

Some offices provide breakout or dining areas where employees can eat their lunch, but many of us eat our lunch at our desks. Indeed, some people may feel that it is a good idea to do so, as it makes them look work-oriented and committed – unable to tear themselves away from their computer, and willing to eat a rushed and improvised lunch, in order to get back to the matter in hand.

If you are going to eat lunch at your desk, think carefully about your food choices. Strong-smelling food will pervade your neighbours’ nostrils and might be found obtrusive and offensive. So think twice before you reheat last night’s curry or devour a burger and chips from the takeaway next door. It is also worth noting that heating up strong-smelling food in the communal kitchen microwave will also permeate the office (as well as the microwave itself).

Your desk is not a dining table, so embarking on a lunch that involves several dishes and a selection of cutlery is not a good idea as it makes you look over-focused on your food and fastidious about eating. If you want to eat a proper meal, a desktop lunch is not for you.

A Tidy Desk

No matter how untidy or chaotic you are at home, it is always wise to default to obsessive tidiness in a shared workspace. True, a desk that is piled high with papers, books and files might well give the impression that you are knee deep in important undertakings, but this will only work on a temporary basis, and you should ensure that your desk reverts – post work-frenzy – to an orderly state. If the chaos is a permanent state, people will begin to think that you are a person whose approach to work is disorderly and haphazard.

Make it a rule to tidy everything away at the end of the day and leave your desk looking pristine and ready for business.

If you are someone who is naturally messy, you should also be careful about impinging on other people’s workspaces or allowing your disorder to spread. Never let files or papers encroach onto other people’s desks. If your wastebasket is full to overflowing, empty it yourself.

Above all, remember that no matter how friendly your office, work is a place where you are judged and assessed. Other people will be observing you, and your general behaviour will be seen as indicative of your character, your strengths and your weaknesses. Don’t let a surly demeanour, an untidy desk or a smelly lunch scupper your professional standing.