by Jamie Dodd - project-365.co.uk

Being human, we often forget that we are all part of someone else's landscape.

What we have to remember is that while we're looking at everyone else, everyone else is looking at us. To maintain a happy and productive work environment, we should be more self aware of what our colleagues are seeing everyday.

Spending such a large amount of time with them, it seems reasonable to moderate certain aspects of our behaviour in order to achieve this. It's important to recognise that we all have bad habits and that nobody is perfect.

Health and hygiene

• Don't stink - Nothing will make people dread than the daily waft of onions, stale beer and body odour that signals your arrival. Make sure you are smart and clean everyday. If you need to, keep a small bag of toiletries at work. That way you can always refresh yourself throughout the day. If you are a smoker, make sure you carry mints as well. Your workmates will certainly appreciate not sitting next to an ashtray everyday.

• Keep your hands where you can see them - Don't pick your nose, scratch yourself or indulge in any other activity that might be better suited to the monkey house at your local zoo. You might not even know that you are doing it but you can be sure that at least five other people have noticed and are already secretly plotting how to destroy you. Eating bananas is fine. Eating bananas with your feet is definitely not.

Knowing what's yours

• Stay in your bubble - Respecting your workmates' workspace is a sure-fire way to avoid confrontations. Nobody likes their personal space being invaded so keep your own workspace tidy and don't let your work stray into your neighbour's space.

• Don;t be a thief - Moving people's belongings, even something as innocent as borrowing a pen and forgetting to return it, can make you the office equivalent of Al Capone. Wherever possible use your own equipment or that provided by your employer. Nobody wants to end up in hospital over a lost stapler.

Being with colleagues

• Watch your language - What may be acceptable to your mates down the pub might not necessarily be suitable for the workplace. Foul and abusive language should be avoided whenever possible. It smacks of unprofessionalism and an ill-used word could damage a business deal or even your future career prospects. Although commonplace in today's society, all swearing should be confined to a nightly rant at home. Your cat will not fire you, no matter what you call it.

• Don't expect everyone to share your interests - It's one thing to like Bog Snorkelling but to lecture the same faces everyday with the best techniques for avoiding ‘sludge crack' can become tiresome. Stick to popular subjects and you will struggle to fail. Just remember to keep these conversations light and avoid anything contentious.

• Be confident, not loud - An overbearing approach and a tendency to shout down people can be really annoying. It's important to listen to other people as well as contribute your own ideas. Colleagues will always appreciate someone who will give them a chance to air their views. Ignoring this will alienate you from the team and they will be so irritated by your unwillingness to share the floor, that they will ignore the content of your message.

• Keep it together - Work social events are a great chance to let your hair down and unwind. Just remember that for every heavy night, there is a heavy morning. If you must imbibe, limit your drinking to a minimum. Rest assured there will always be someone there who will remember everything that was said and everything that was done. In this age of camera phones and social websites, you might get to relive your finest moments over and over again. In your boss' office.

Being considerate of other people is never a negative thing and following a few simple guidelines can make your life so much easier. Perhaps the best advice, is to maintain the level of professionalism that gained you the job in the first place. How many times did you burp in that interview?