Not being perfectly punctual can generally be forgiven as long as you’re not late to important meetings. However, showing up late on a daily basis while the rest of the office shows up on time reflects laziness and poor commitment to the team. It’s also annoying, especially if it affects other people’s workday.
Coming to your boss with a problem should be the last resort whenever an issue arises. You should problem solve by yourself first, then consult a coworker and if after that you’re still stumped, it’s OK to ask for help.
A friendly and social workspace can lead to a more connected and well-functioning office. That said, if you’re too chatty you can end up distracting people from doing their work. In general, try to limit your office chats to lunch time and after office hours. If you absolutely must chat, keep these conversations very discrete and quiet so as to not be a distraction to the rest of the office.
A pungent smell can be a major annoyance and distraction in the office, where many people are trying to work together in close quarters. Wearing too much cologne or perfume can be a bother to a boss or coworkers. The same goes for bringing in foods that carry a strong scent or not practicing adequate hygiene.
In general, offices should be on the quiet side in order to give everyone the opportunity to focus on their tasks. Noisy habits like drumming your fingers, humming, singing, using loud ringtones or keyboard sounds can all lead to a very distracting and annoying office environment that your boss and colleauges will not appreciate.
Not following through on a project or missing a deadline will definitely cause you to have issues with your boss. Oftentimes your colleagues or supervisor will have to pick up the slack if you mess something up. It’s important to communicate any issues you may have to your team – like not having enough resources or time – before an approaching deadline.
In general, office places should be cordial, friendly and discrete. It’s not a good idea to walk over to someone’s desk and start blabbering on about your date or any other aspects of your personal life. If you’re asked, it’s OK to answer questions if you feel comfortable, but sharing unsolicited personal information is rude and can really get on your boss’s nerves.
There are no stupid questions – the first time around. But once you’re taught how to do something correctly, repeatedly asking how to do a task becomes really annoying for your boss and the people around you. When you’re learning a new job, keep a notebook around you as a reference for whenever you forget how to perform a task. Reserve your supervisor’s time for when you have questions that haven’t been asked yet.
Photos
1. based on 40+216 Faces, by bark, CC-by-2.0
2. based on Milk Factory Boss, by darkday, CC-by-2.0