By Marjorie Brody, MA, CSP, CMC

You probably put real effort into being a good neighbor and a responsible citizen. Just as you are a member of your community and a citizen of the country you live in, you are a member of your company's staff. Along with certain rights, you also have responsibilities and obligations toward your colleagues and fellow "citizens."

Coexisting peacefully and harmoniously isn't always easy--especially when you're sharing a copier, coffee machine and conference room. But it can be done. It only requires a little common courtesy when using shared territory and equipment, and a little respect for other people's sensibilities and personal space.

Equipment Etiquette
Here are seven simple rules of etiquette that apply to all office equipment:

Rule #1: If it's empty, fill it.The coffeepot is empty again. The copier's out of toner. You need to send a fax right away, but the machine is out of paper. It's frustrating, isn't it?

Remember that feeling the next time you drink the last of the coffee, get near the end of the toner, or see that the fax paper tray is empty. Use it to make yourself a better colleague. You don't have to be Julia Child to make a pot of coffee. You don't have to be an electronic genius to know when a fax machine needs paper.

It only takes a few minutes to fill a paper tray or put up a pot of coffee. "I don't know how" is a lame excuse. Ask someone to help you.

Rule #2: If it's broken, fix it, or at least get it fixed. Machines break down. If you happen to be around when this happens, don't just walk away and hope the next person will deal with it. Even if you didn't break it in the first place, take care of it. Quibbling about blame and responsibility is always counterproductive and totally unprofessional.

Rule #3: If you don't know how to use it properly, learn. Misuse of equipment is more than just a time-waster. It can also damage sensitive machinery. Before you push that button or turn that dial, make sure you know exactly what you're doing.

Rule #4: If it isn't your turn, wait. You're in a hurry. You need to use the copier right now to make 500 copies for your meeting in 10 minutes. Well get in line, because we are all in a hurry, and the person ahead of you at the machine may have a meeting in five minutes.

In the future, give yourself a little more time. If you work in a busy office, you are bound to run into a traffic jam occasionally at some critical machine.

Of course, if you are running a large job and someone needs to make a few copies, it's common courtesy to let him or her use the machine. Next time, the person who needs just a few copies might be you.

Rule #5: If it isn't yours, don't read it. If you find someone else's document in the copy machine or see a transmission addressed to your co-worker in the fax machine, resist the temptation to gather some inside information or juicy gossip by reading it. Once you determine to whom the original belongs or to whom the fax is addressed, put the document in his or her mailbox.

The "don't read it" rule also applies to data displayed on someone else's computer screen, and to mail lying on someone else's desk.

Rule #6: If you make a mess, clean it up. Pick up your own trash; wipe up your own spills. Take all your originals and other papers with you when you leave an area.

Rule #7: When you're finished with it, make sure it's ready for the next person to use. Reset the copier to the standard one copy, 8 ½ x 11 size. Don't change computer programming or automatic dial numbers on the fax machine without permission.

In addition to these seven basic rules that apply to all equipment, each type of machinery has its own specific etiquette considerations.

Cubicles
Cubicles present their own problems with regard to living together in the workplace - especially when it comes to privacy.

Avoid barging into someone's cubicle, and don't linger around when they are on the phone. Keep your voice down when meeting in a cube or when on the phone. Avoid shouting across cubes to the person over the "wall."

Think twice before playing new voice-mail messages on speaker phone. One time someone I know was quite embarrassed when a young coworker who had been on a date with another coworker played a voice mail he received on speaker phone—only several cubicles down. The message talked about the sex these two coworkers had on a date the night before.

You should also ask permission before borrowing, moving, or using any equipment in a person's office. If the other person isn't present when you use the equipment, make sure you put everything back the way you found it after you're finished. Remember, pens, papers, etc., may be company property, but don't take them from someone else's desk.