Can You Take Calls in the Shared Space?

When you and your fellow coworkers are sharing an open office space, every phone call or conversation can be a distraction. But does that mean you need to run outside every time the phone rings? 

The Commons is not a library. We expect and encourage our members to talk to each other and to do what they need to be productive at work. That includes taking short calls in the shared work space. We do ask you to keep your voice to a reasonable volume (maybe leave one headphone out so you know how loud you are talking). However, we don’t expect you to run to a phone booth or outside every time you have to take a call.


Do wear headphones.

I can’t stress how important this is. Your own voice will generally blend into the ambient noise of the coworking space, but the voices coming in over Zoom or your phone will not. If you want to be the most annoying person in the office, this is a good way to do it. So, if you forgot your headphones at home, book a room or jump into a phone booth and spare everybody the annoyance of listening to your entire meeting.


Do use your inside voice. 

Sometimes, being on Zoom inspires us to yell into the computer like we’re talking to grandma without her hearing aide. Additionally, wearing headphones can make it hard to hear the volume of your own voice. (In fact, I’d recommend against noise-cancellation headphones for this very reason.) Make a point to be mindful of your volume control, and speak more softly than you would in a live conversation. 



Do Take Advantage of the Phone Booths

Because our phone booths are first-come, first-served, you might wonder if people camp out in them all day. Luckily, at this time, the answer is no. Most of our members step in when they need to, but don’t prefer to spend the whole day in them. We would ask guests to do the same. (Personally, I would need to come out and stretch my legs!)

While there is no hard-and-fast rule, we would ask that members and guests spend no more than 2 hours at a time in the booths. This is long enough to finish most conference calls, but short enough to give someone else a chance to make a call too. If, at some future time, the phone booths come into high demand, we will make them a reservable space like our private offices. But for now, the honor system reigns.


Don’t take personal conversations.

We humans naturally love to gossip, and we have a sixth sense for when somebody is discussing something juicy in the workplace. While work calls and meeting jargon can easily be tuned out, your personal issues will grab everybody’s attention. Keep your personal conversations at home, or get yourself some privacy by hopping into a phone booth or talking a walk outside. You’ll spare yourself the embarrassment, and you’ll save everyone else the distraction.


Don’t take it personally.

Finally, if a community manager or fellow coworker asks you to tone it down, don’t take it personally. Remember that you are in a shared workspace, and be appreciative of the fact that they are willing to help you understand the expectations and etiquette at that particular space.

The important thing is to be respectful when you make the request. We are all here trying to do work. Finding the balance of collaboration and concentration can be hard. When someone moves a little over the line, we ask that you be polite and direct in asking them to lower their voice or move to a more private area.