Respecting Your Coworkers

• Try to mesh with the company culture: When you arrive at a new company, observe the patterns of office life and adapt to them.
• Value diversity: Be sensitive to differences. Never tease or mock anyone.
• Respect privacy: Unless someone offers information about their personal life, don’t discuss it. Avoid asking about a coworker’s age, relationship status, sexual orientation, politics, religion, or health.
• Watch the volume: Keep your voice down. If you listen to music or must use a speakerphone, make sure the noise doesn’t bother anyone else.
• Pick up after yourself: Leave common spaces, from conference rooms to kitchens, as neat as you found them. Don’t bring smelly foods into the office.
• Less is more: When it comes to personalizing your workspace, a few subtle details (a framed photograph of your family, a small plant) go a long way. Avoid personalizing in a way that might offend others.
• Close the door: If you have an office, shut the door when you have visitors, when you’re having a confidential conversation, and when you really need to concentrate.
• Honor the cubicle: Treat cubicles like the private offices of your coworkers. Give them the courtesy and privacy they deserve.