Minding Your Manners – How to Be a Better Colleague

Every office has one: the colleague you expediently time your lunch and coffee breaks to avoid. 
Yep, who we work with can make all the difference between looking forward to stepping into the office and counting down the minutes until we leave.
But what exactly is it about colleagues that make them more enjoyable, or less tolerable? And how can we make sure we ourselves are being the best colleague we can be?
Aside from the obvious etiquette – be ethical, be polite, be punctual, be honest, be respectful, avoid gossip – there are some behaviours that you can keep in check to ensure you aren’t becoming that colleague.
Be cheery – but not too cheery 
The axiom “a smile is infectious, you catch it like the flu” is no myth. A passing smile and a cheery salutation is an effortless way to put colleagues into good moods and show them that you: a) recognise their existence and, b) are happy to make time for them.
There is a line though – being too bubbly, especially when it means failing to notice that someone is having a bad day, can be interpreted as annoying and/or ignorant. On the other hand, not smiling at all deems you somewhat unapproachable and is a guaranteed way to make people avoid (and quite possibly dislike) you.
Master small talk 
Whether at the water cooler, in the break room or at your desk, intervals of small talk break up the day and make colleagues feel more comfortable around one other.
Small talk is not the time to dribble on about your personal problems outside the office, however. Keep topics light and non-invasive – think music, movies, travel, exercise, pets, hobbies, cuisine, weekend plans etc.
Listen and learn
Small gestures can have big impact. Simply listening is validation that you respect your colleagues’ opinions. Listening also indicates that you have an empathetic ear that can be of great support should anyone need it.
Try to keep the ‘hear and be heard’ balance even (that is doing as much listening as you do speaking).
Compliment others – and give credit where credit’s due 
Whether it’s their latest project or something they’re wearing, there are many ways to compliment a colleague – and as long as it’s sincere it will be appreciated. Be sure to not overdo it or you’ll risk being seen as a greaser whose compliments aren’t genuine, rather agenda setting.
Be ethical and diplomatic 
You can’t be completely sure of what your colleagues’ opinions are on every single matter, so be tactful when voicing yours. For all you know they might have a relative, friend or partner that is subject to whatever you’re discussing and your opinion on the matter could be causing offence or stress, not to mention creating an air of awkwardness. An easy way to check yourself before you wreck yourself is to imagine you are talking to your boss or parent in law, or the likes.
Avoid gossip 
As tempting as it is, and as easy as it can be to fall into, conversations regarding gossip, negative or facetious opinions of others are dangerous territory and should undoubtedly be avoided, or stopped in their tracks when they surface.
Whether you were being serious or not, your conversation is likely to make its way back to the person it concerned.
Show restraint 
This one’s wide reaching. Whether it’s the amount of cologne you spray each morning or the decision to not divulge every detail about the horrible thing that just happened to you, showing restraint is synonymous with showing respect.
 
By Lydia Truesdale