Even if office chat is not your thing (you are not the only one!), it does make sense in the long run to have a friendly relationship with the others you keep bumping into in the kitchen or by the coffee machine. This might include sharing snacks occasionally, wishing them a happy birthday, or helping them with a task, just because you are a nice person.
Believe us, you will not be seen as an eager beaver if you arrive ten minutes early. On the contrary, it helps to start your day in calm, giving you the time to think over the tasks ahead. Not only will you look more focused to your colleagues, you probably will be.
Whether you need to do something that is normally not your task, or start work earlier, it does help if you keep a flexible approach. It certainly will be to your credit if colleagues see that you are hard working.
Having friends at work and enjoying the company is fine, but don’t attract undue attention by dishing out your private life in the office.
When you are at your desk, don’t use the phone for private matters. It distracts others from their work, and nobody is interested to know when you are going for that check-up.
If you hit ‘Reply all’ on an email addressed to hundreds of people, instead of just ‘Replying’ to the sender, that in itself is no big deal. When thirty people make the same mistake, it becomes a real nuisance. Try to be among those who can tell the difference between the two buttons.
