How is Your Office Space Etiquette?


We recently invited image consultant, Nicole Schwartz to be keynote speaker at one of our weekly Lunch and Learn seminars at the Rostie Group. Her presentation was entitled “How to Make Friends Quickly and Influence People”. While many rules of etiquette appear to be ‘common sense’ there are many things that aren’t as obvious or that we just haven’t thought of because of the level of comfort some of us are accustomed to, even in a professional environment.

Here is Nicole’s presentation on Slideshare.

Below are THREE additional rules specifically for your daily manoeuvres through your team room, in Toronto, or wherever you hang your bowler.
1. Walk around the partition  - don’t pop your head over your neighbour’s cubicle or peek into their workstation.
2. Stagger Lunch breaks - unless there’s a specific reason not to in order to provide everyone a few minutes alone at their desks.
3. Don’t invite yourself to conversations you hear over the wall. (self-explanatory)


30 Snow-related collisions in Toronto: Time to consider a Virtual Office?


If you're pouring into downtown Toronto, braving the high winds, wet snow and icy roads, one pretty elaborate question might start to formulate: "Why me?"
Interestingly enough a small subset of commuters like yourself could have been warm and toasty at home. Hopefully none but some may have been among the 30 smash-ups recorded before 7.30 this morning.
Of the myriad of reasons Virtual offices are touted to those who have a need for flexible workspace, icy road conditions may not be the most popular but it's a pretty convincing one at times like these.
However, on days like today one could simply take heart in the fact that during "Toronto's Worst Single-Day Snowfall" on December 11, 1944 when 48 cm of snow covered Toronto's downtown, funerals had to be postponed and mothers walked to hospitals to later have their babies. Or, you could see if cutting out the commute altogether is a viable option.
Here are a few things to consider if you choose option B:
Virtual offices reduce the costs (in the broadest sense of the word) of commuting while maintaining all the perks of a permanent, physical location such as having a remote receptionist handle all of your traditional reception tasks, to having your company associated with an impressive downtown address.
Here are THREE basic starter questions to leave you with when seeking a virtual office:
• Will I have a well-recognised business address?
• Are the staff and receptionist professional.
• Is the reception area well furnished?

What does your Office or Desk say about You?

Ever wonder what your desk says about you?

The state of your office space naturally is a reflection of you in many ways. 

Is your desk painstakingly organised at all times? Then you might be a control freak. 

If it's cluttered but in a methodical way i.e. there is some method to your messiness then you might be an artist at heart.

Here's a quick quiz that links the state of your desktop to a personality profile. Enjoy!



10 Reasons Co Working is the Shared Office Space Solution for You

What is Hot Desking or Coworking?
Hot Desking is the highly efficient and now global practice of being the temporary physical occupant of a work station thus allowing you to...
1. Enjoy the benefits of a central location.
2. Enjoy amenities one would come to expect in a full-service office location but with none of the upkeep.
3. Have ultimate flexibility with none of the overhead that comes with an office space. 
4. Work in a collaborative environment, ripe for networking as you mix with other local business personalities.
5. Save and work flexibly until you're ready to scale up to a permanent space.
6. Achieve a healthy work-life balance. 
7. Be more productive in a professional environment (i.e. no PJs or trips to the refrigerator).
8. Be social. 
9. Use those around you as information resources or even referrals.
10. Get more done than if you work at a coffee house.

Hot Desking at the Rostie Group

Happy 2012!

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