Co-working spaces are an incredibly underutilized resource in the modern world. Nothing beats working shoulder to shoulder with smart capable entrepreneurs and artists. I work out of the C3 (The Cambridge CoWorking Center, probably the most well known and respected CoWorking Center in the nation) and I’ve never worked anywhere with such a concentration of positive energy. If you haven’t considered working at a co-working space before, I highly recommend you look into it. There are some things you just can’t find alone at your home office with Google, like a preference of color to the human eye when designing an iPhone graphics or font choices when developing a website for a client, for example.

That being said, Working at a co-working space can take a little getting used to. Everyone is their own CEO and expects things to happen their way, and everyone is a little more confident and opinionated than your former coworkers. (We are talking about Entrepreneurs, after all)

Here are some tips to make the most of your co-working experience, while treading lightly on your deskmates.

1- Mark your battery charger.

This happened to me recently, and while I was fortunate enough to find it, I wasn’t looking forward to having to drop a lot of cash on a MacBook charger- Those things are very expensive. After that incident, I took a short strip of duct tape and marked both square sides of the white square charger- This way, I’ll be able to quickly identify it the next time a similar situation happens.

2- Be respectful.

There are a lot of different personalities in the entrepreneur world- Some people enjoy talking about sports, some art, some science. There are all types of people in your new office- Make sure to be kind to all of them. After all, theyre just people trying to get by in the world, just like you. Try to do something nice for someone else as often as you can and help make your co-working space (and the world) a little better than when you found it.

3- No swearing.

I am guilty of this probably on a weekly basis, but I’m doing my best to stop doing this so much. I am an excitable guy when telling stories and was previously in the military where profanity is a little bit more acceptable than it is here in Boston, so sometimes my mouth says things before my inner filter can censor it. Try to remember that not everyone is as cool and relaxed as your buddies, and other people deserve the right to work in a place without profanity. Save that kind of talk for the pub and remember, you are at work here.

4- No dating your fellow office-mates.

I don’t have to tell you why this is a bad idea…. Actually, you know what? Everybody knows why this is a bad idea, and yet everybody does it anyway, so do what you gotta do. Just remember I told you not to.

5- Find a nearby gym.

You WILL get bored occasionally at the office, and/or need a break from the computer screen and experience real life once in a while. Join a nearby gym (or share an account with someone else… It happens.) and try to work out and run when you can. It gets the blood pumping again. We have Yoga classes and a Running Club at the CIC and nothing beats going for a run around the Charles River after a day of research and meetings.

6- Take advantage of membership benefits.

My co-working center, the Cambridge Innovation Center, has a ton of cool benefits like cellular service discounts, gym, running clubs, movie nights- Be social and enjoy the positive community that your co-working center works so hard on creating for you.

7- Hygine

Some people get busy in their projects and let the little yet important things slip. Don’t be that guy.

8- Phone etiquette

Take your phone call out in a hallway if its a short talk. Don’t book a conference room if you’re only talking to your girlfriend about dinner plans. Again, dont be that guy.

9- Eat Properly

Dont get caught up eating too many sugary drinks and snacks- that is easy to do with those things being so plentiful. Instead remember to eat properly and drink plenty of water.

10- Share

Dont be possessive over shared resources. You may sit in the same place all week and another guy may come in on friday and sit there. He likely never noticed and isnt trying to be passively aggressive to you. Make the best of it and sit somewhere else that day. Maybe you will meet a new friend.

11- Be Kind to the Staff.

Take it easy on the co-working staff. They work hard to make sure you have everything you need. Were all a team! Make sure to thank them regularly for their hard work. People remember kindness like that.

Happy Easter, All.

Jesse Waites