After working from home for a while, going back to a shared office space in Downtown Orlando may seem like unfamiliar territory. You have to go back to sharing space and supplies while also dealing with your coworkers.
To help your transition back to office life go smoothly, here are some tips on how to keep healthy relationships with your coworkers while working in a shared office space.
1. Give Genuine Compliments
Everyone likes compliments and we all know that appreciation is a big foundation in any relationship. Don’t hesitate to dish out compliments generously but make sure your compliments are always sincere and genuine. Fake compliments are obvious and can lead to strained relationships where people think you’re insincere.
Go out of your way to make your colleagues feel like appreciated and cherished members of the team by acknowledging and complimenting their work.
2. Go Out to Lunch With Them
A great way to bond and develop good relationships with your coworkers is by inviting them or joining them for lunch. Even if you don’t go out somewhere and you’re just eating your pre-packed lunches together, eating with your coworkers can open up new doors for getting to know each other.
Feel free to invite other coworkers to join you or take a day to eat alone if you need the space. By making an effort to eat with your coworkers every so often, you’ll quickly improve your relationship with them.
3. Communicate Clearly
If you’re working with a coworker you don’t really like or know, be sure to communicate clearly. By going out of your way to express your ideas and work with them, you’ll lower the risk of miscommunication.
Don’t limit yourself to email communication while working with someone else. Make sure to stop by their workspace and talk in person so that both of you can accurately portray your expectations and ideas. When communication is honest and open, you’ll find that any awkwardness will disappear.
4. Be Friendly and Respectful
No one wants to feel like they’re disliked or being disrespected. Whenever you’re around your coworkers, always make the effort to be respectful and friendly, whether you like them or not. You don’t need to share your whole life story or even your weekend plans, but make sure you are coming across as friendly instead of cold and irritated.
Even when you don’t agree with a coworker or don’t like them in general, respect them. Try not to shoot down every idea they have or criticize their intelligence behind their back. You don’t have to go out of your way to appreciate them, but make sure they know that you still have basic respect for them as a person.
5. Offer to Help Them
If you see a coworker struggling with a box or carrying bags of office supplies, offer to help them out. The same goes for if you see them struggling with a task. If you notice someone having a difficult time completing a work task, don’t hesitate to offer your help.
You don’t have to offer to take on their entire workload, but if you know how to complete a certain task that someone seems to be struggling with, it’s kind to step up. Perhaps they’ll be able to help you with a difficult task in the future and if not, then you would have still made a new friend.
Conclusion
Working in a shared office space doesn’t have to be a negative experience and it’s possible to even enjoy it. In order to do so, however, you’ll have to develop healthy relationships with your coworkers. By following the few tips above, you’ll encourage healthy workspace relationships which can make sharing the office more tolerable and even enjoyable.
