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Adulting 101: Five Random Office Tips

I'm about to drop a truth bomb on you.
Brace yourselves for it.
Are you ready?
Okay.

Business college programs don't teach you everything you need to know about business.

I know, I know, you're shocked. I'll give you a minute to regain your composure...

...

Of course, I'm being factitious. We know (or, at least, should know) that business school cannot teach you everything there is to know about working in a business.

This post focuses on a few things that I learned specifically from working in a few different office contexts. Even though the office environments I've worked in have been fairly large, the random tips below apply to any office of any size. Let's get into it!


1. Beware of water around a sink. This is actually one tip that my business professor did teach me in a conversation about interviews. Sinks are some pretty fickle devices. Sometimes there is very little water pressure, and other times the faucet is like a fire hose. In the case of the latter, you're likely to experience splashback. This splashback can make the front of your clothes wet, making you look like you just peed yourself. Definitely not something at the top of anybody's priority list. Avoid this by looking around a sink for water. If there is a lot of water, try using a different sink or turning on the faucet very, very slowly.

2. Hallway traffic should reflect car traffic. People drive at different speeds, people walk at different speeds. It's a fact of life. On the road, the state of Illinois technically has a law prohibiting slow drivers from cruising in the left lane. (Not very well enforced, but hey, the more you know!) I wish I could say the same was true about hallway traffic. I can't tell you how many times I've been caught up in a rush to get to a meeting by two people walking slowly right in the middle of the hall. This is an easy problem you can help remedy with a simple solution: don't walk in the middle of the hall.

3. Be friendly to your fellow elevator riders. Much like the old adage of holding a door for others, you can also hold an elevator door. If you're the first one on, be friendly and ask each fellow rider where they are doing. True story: I have found that some of my Indian coworkers will just ride to whatever floor if not asked. Seriously! I tested this once by purposefully not asking one gentleman's needed floor and letting us ride to the fourth floor. Without being conspicuous, I carefully watched this gentleman quietly follow me out of the elevator and immediately walk to the steps. He was too nice to tell me he was going to one of the lower floors!

4. If there isn't a clear dress code, use common sense to find out what is generally acceptable. I personally work in an environment where the dress code is pretty lax. Being a large environment, you'll find that not everybody dresses the same way. Some areas dress more formal while others are more relaxed. Use your common sense to find out what is appropriate for you to wear. If all your team is really formal, dress really formal. If you're truly confused about what to wear, ask a coworker.

5. Be mindful of those also wanting to use the office microwave. This extends beyond the obvious "Make sure the microwave is clean." Sometimes, there develops quite a queue waiting to use a microwave. Let me tell you something: at a certain point, that microwave ain't gonna make your food any hotter. I've watch folks try to heat a dish for a full 7 minutes and still walk away unsatisfied. To that end, be okay that your food might be lukewarm because people are waiting for you. Don't cut their lunch hour short. Trust me, that Lean Cuisine is never going to be the perfect temperature.
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