Remote and flexible work models are becoming an industry standard. Regular in-person staff got a taste of remote work during the recent global pandemic and are fighting a return to the office. Some businesses have employees constantly traveling, so the office is rarely full, and this lack of an in-person workforce is forcing companies to reexamine their commitments to leasing or purchasing office space.
Instead, they are looking for downtown Houston coworking space. Scattered across downtown Houston, these temporary office spaces are a great solution for businesses that don’t need a dedicated building for their employees. However, sharing a space with others from the same or a different company can be challenging.
To help keep the peace and productivity, here are a few tips on how to successfully share a coworking space.
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Bring Your Headphones
Okay, you’ve probably heard managers tell people to leave their headphones at home. If a headset is needed, most companies provide the gear. In a shared coworking space, this rule goes out the window. You want to bring a quality pair of noise-canceling headphones.
With a pair of headphones, you can block out coworkers’ online Zoom calls and meetings, and the same is also true for your coworkers. They don’t want or need to hear your meetings, just like there’s no reason to listen to theirs. Furthermore, the constant chatter can ultimately be annoying and distracting, resulting in lower productivity.
If you or a coworker wants to listen to music, go ahead and pump up the volume. The headphones will effectively muffle any distracting noise.
Stay in Your Space
Shared office spaces in Houston are typically roomy. Houston likes to build big. However, even when there’s plenty of room for multiple desks, chairs, and even a lounging couch, the space doesn’t belong solely to you. Remember, it’s a shared working space, so you must be considerate of others.
This means not spreading your gear everywhere. Keep everything contained and organized in your allotted area. Just like you don’t want to deal with someone else’s stuff, they don’t want to move yours whenever they sit down to work. Make sure to be respectful of your coworkers’ space, and things will move along more smoothly as a whole.
Use Call Booths When Available
Some coworking spaces in downtown Houston are designed for use as call centers. This means the space probably comes with at least one call booth. What’s a call booth? Think of a modern and compact version of a standard phone booth. A call booth provides privacy while also limiting the amount of sound your coworkers hear.
A good rule to implement in shared working spaces is to have a reservation sheet for the call booth. This way, the booth is available for everyone to use. If your meeting overlaps with someone else’s reservation, you can always break out your headphones.
Watch the Clock
You’re probably already keeping an eye on the time—after all, it’s common for staff to count down the minutes until quitting time. However, this isn’t what this tip implies; instead, watching the clock means vacating a call booth promptly when your scheduled time is up.
Staying over can put the other worker behind and lead to a tense shared office environment. This is never good for anyone’s productivity. If there are shared in-person meeting rooms or tables, the same also applies. Don’t stay longer than your allotted time. Other people have tasks to complete that are just as important as yours.
Be Neat for Others
You may need to change your habits a little bit in a shared working environment to be more aware and accommodating of those around you. You may not notice the mess you leave behind, but chances are someone else will. Use the trash receptacles around the office space. Clean up after yourself in the restroom and the shared kitchen.
You also want to refrain from leaving your coat, bags, and other belongings lying around. Keep the office furniture clutter-free so others can use it as needed. Basically, remember what you learned growing up. If you make a mess, clean it up.
Be Respectful of Others and Create a Great Coworking Environment
Have you ever lived with roommates? Maybe a dormmate in college? If so, you already understand the importance of being respectful of others, which is especially important in a coworking space.
Everyone in the space has a job to do, which means keeping conversation to a minimum during working hours. Keep the volume down during your meetings, and don’t blast your music on 10, even with headphones. If you take the time to respect your coworkers, chances are they’ll return the favor.
