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Coworking space etiquette

Coworking Etiquette

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Coworking locations are popping up everywhere. And while we think we have the best spot in town, there are some things that are equal across all of them. When moving to a new space like this, you may be unaware of some of the more delicate etiquette rules associated with coworking spaces. Many of these “rules” are pretty standard when it comes to any shared space. If you’ve had messy roommates, you may already be familiar with some of these. But let’s examine some more specific coworking rules:

Rule #1 – Be Scent Free

A standard rule in a lot of organizations, but doubly important in a shared coworking space. Not only should you be wary of allergies that scents may trigger, but also general comfort levels. Not everyone in your coworking space will come from the same background, or even the same city, and some scents may be more uncommon or more offensive to differing individuals. This includes not only perfumes and colognes, but personal hygiene items like after shave and body wash. It also extends to food. The scent of strong food may cause either displeasure at the scent… or just making everyone grumpy they’re sitting in a meeting at lunch time. Speaking of food…

Rule #2 – Clean up and Wash down

Some days you can step out for a long lunch. Other days, you need to eat at your desk and catch up on work. Either way, be aware that the food you introduce to the shared coworking environment will be shared by everyone. Not in terms of everyone having a piece, but in terms of scents floating in the air, and the mental images those smells may bring up. Vegans may be uncomfortable with the smell of meat. And certain cultural foods may taste delicious, but have offensive scents. (Cabbage anyone?). This doesn’t mean you can’t eat what you want, as long as you’re respectful, and more importantly, clean up your area after, to scrub away all potential lingering scents.

Rule #3 – It’s called “Coworking”

One of the major advantages of a coworking space is the savings that you get from sharing that space. Everyone will understand if a meeting runs long, but if you constantly run over time, and cause other company’s meetings to be delayed, you’ll quickly find yourself public enemy number 1. This is one of the easiest rules to follow, since starting and ending a meeting on time is actually a good thing. Your client is not more important than someone else’s.

It’s important to keep in mind that this place is shared. Everyday you’ll see new faces, and say goodbye to old ones. It’s just the way modern working… works. Here at Toronto Meetings, we have the ideal coworking space where you can practice all of these skills and more. Contact us today to see all of our available spaces! 

Phone Etiquette

Phone Etiquette in a Meeting

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Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter, emails, text messages, phone calls. Need I say more? It’s safe to say that our lives are consumed by information that arrives to our devices by the second and we’re helpless against its power.

At one point in time, this information could very well wait until we were done completing simple tasks like driving, eating and trying to fall asleep at night. Meetings are no exception to the rule.

The typical boardroom table 15 years ago would have consisted of a few coffee cups, pads of paper with pens scattered everywhere, whiteboard markers and people eager to hear what one another had to say about a particular topic.

Oh, how things have changed.

The typical boardroom table in 2018 consists of a Starbucks coffee at every seat, accompanied by; you guessed it, a cell phone. Pads of paper and one’s favourite pen are now a thing of the past.

Note taking is done digitally and sneaking in a text or two is the norm.

Although environmentalists will praise this new trend, it does come at a cost to business owners.

Where managers, directors and presidents used to have the full attention of their employees, they are now competing with the likes of a device, similar to mind control technology from your favourite 1960’s sci-fi movie.

As CBC noted in a 2013 article people find this trend to be rude and disrespectful, with one person going as far as saying that cell phones are now considered the “cigarette of this decade”.

So what can we do about it? Ban cell phones from meetings? Have everyone put their phones in the middle of the table? Create phone breaks?

Truthfully, I don’t think there will be a simple fix.

One can only hope that society will begin to control their phone usage habits and recognize the right time and place to compose their next 140 characters.

If you’re looking for a space to hold your (hopefully distraction free) meeting. Then see what rooms we have available here at Toronto Meetings, and Book Today!