Whether you are in an office or on your couch, remember to do do things differently in meetings, in messages, and with all your other tech tools.
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“People get used to working from home, and then they go to the office…and there are different rules and preferences,” said Kendra Losee, co-author of “Digital Etiquette for Dummies.”
Here are six things you and your colleagues (feel free to send them this) should keep in mind at work.
Gossip more, but the right way
Gossip gets a bad rap, but it’s a useful tool for navigating the modern workplace. It can spread useful information, help teams build relationships, and sometimes avoid awkward or dangerous situations. But you have to do it ethically and in the right applications.
Use gossip and private conversations to share your salary with colleagues and find out if you are underpaid. Use them to express your problems: you may find that other people are facing the same problems and decide to take action. If your business is in turmoil, gossip is a way to keep up to date with the latest drama and determine whether you should be concerned about your situation.
Avoid talking about people’s private lives behind their backs, don’t engage in personal attacks, and know when to keep a secret.
Don’t use a work communication app like Teams or Slack: anything you type there could end up in the hands of HR or even a legal team in the event of a lawsuit. Use apps like Signal, WhatsApp, or your end-to-end encrypted messaging tool of choice. Remember that no private conversation is ever completely safe: after all, gossips love to spread gossip.
Don’t be a meeting bully
Scheduling meetings inappropriately is surprisingly cumbersome and a good way to alienate people.
Never send a meeting invitation without context or schedule a meeting when someone is unavailable. Sending invitations without details could give some people unnecessary anxiety, especially if you are their manager.
“Say, ‘Here’s what I’m covering and why it’s important,’” said Mollie West Duffy, co-author of “No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotion at Work.” “It’s totally reasonable for the person to say no” if you don’t provide context.
Create an agenda in advance and include it in the invitation or send a separate message, Losee said. If you can’t set an agenda or goal, you may not need this meeting at all. Schedule meetings regularly without light point might give your colleagues the impression that none of your meetings are important.
Before you invite people, think about how much each attendee’s time is worth, said Liz Fosslien, Duffy’s co-author. “Would you be willing to throw two laptops out the window to have them there?”
Respect the blocks of time people have set aside to focus on work or avoid meetings, Fosslien said. Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar let you see if someone has a scheduling conflict.
“You want people to be excited to come to your meeting,” she said. “And not annoyed before you even walk through the door or turn on Zoom. »
Shh, your keyboard (and your voice) are too loud
Your voice is louder and carries further than you think. Attend meetings or make phone calls in private spaces, when available. If you’re meeting in a public place, remember to mute yourself. There’s no point in irritating your colleagues in person and remotely.
The same rules apply when you’re listening to your favorite tunes or watching TikToks at work. Go somewhere private or wear headphones.
Hungry during a Zoom meeting? Try not to eat during meetings, but if you must, turn off your camera and microphone, Losee advises. If you’re in a conference room with tabletop mics, move your crumpled sandwich wrapper as far away as possible.
“There is always an element of professionalism and respect that needs to be present, even in casual environments,” Losee said.
Your voice, videos, and chewing aren’t the only distracting sounds you might be making. The clicking sound of your keyboard can also echo around the office as you tap your keys. Opt for a quiet keyboard when possible, and type with a light touch. (My support colleague Chris Velazco recommends this Logitech Quiet Keyboard .)
Share information in the right places
Ask people how they like to receive information. Surprisingly, some people still prefer email. Some like Slack or Teams, while others want it to be face-to-face, whether in person or via video chat. Wherever you respond or communicate with your colleagues, make sure it’s the one they check, Duffy said.
In the case of Slack and Teams, if you don’t respond to someone’s message in a thread and instead respond in the larger channel, it can get lost in other discussions. Tag or message your colleagues directly to make sure they see your messages, Losee said. Also avoid excessive chatter or jokes in these channels, as they lead to real work getting lost in the noise.
The more quickly and clearly you communicate and work with your team, the less time you are likely to waste clearing up confusion.
“Remember, this could end up being a reunion,” Losee said. “Nobody wants that.”
Stop multitasking: you’re bad at it
Unless you’re taking notes during a meeting, don’t get distracted by your laptop or smartphone, experts say.
In person, you can bring your laptop to jot down important points, retrieve relevant information for the meeting or project a presentation on a larger screen. Otherwise, it’s best to keep devices turned off to reduce the temptation to respond to a message or get distracted, Losee said.
During virtual meetings, try to reduce background distractions on your computer, Fosslien said. This might mean minimizing other windows and disabling Teams or Slack. People can see when you’re not engaged and doing other tasks instead of paying attention. And for people who wear glasses, be careful that your glasses can reflect what you’re actually looking at, Fosslien added.
Understanding People’s Pet Peeves
To avoid unintentionally irritating your colleagues, work with your team to determine their preferences. Do people appreciate some background music in the break room or kitchen? Do they want to use text messages, Slack or email? Are they fond of casual conversation or does it distract them from their work?
“We often say, ‘Let’s just start a project,’” Duffy said. “But what comes up later is differences in how we want to communicate or work together.”
Discuss standards early and often. This might mean juggling communication and digital tool pet peeves.
Ultimately, just be considerate of the person you work with. They don’t need to be your best friend, and you should at least find each other tolerable from 9 to 5.