Office rules promote staff productivity

The way in which managers and staff conduct themselves can have an impact on the morale of a workplace, with leadership training usually promoting the idea that a respectful office is a productive one.

Issues such as personal space, tidiness, loud music and even the aroma of home-cooked meals - some less appetizing than others - can combine to make an office either a personal oasis or a place of frustration.

Headphones might let a worker get 'in the zone' and rattle off reports at high speed, but trying to communicate with someone who has Lady Gaga blaring in their cranium can be a little difficult.

Those scrawled notes on the monitor reminding them to send that important email might seem harmless to some, but prospective clients - and perhaps coworkers - may see them as disorganised clutter.

The remains of lunch strewn across the desk may be a sign of intense concentration - but the owner of the space is more likely to be seen as messy than dedicated.

And the mobile ringtone that seem funny with friends might be less appropriate for the workplace - not everyone appreciates the quotes from Family Guy every time a message is received.

By ensuring people are not made uncomfortable, managers mey be able to direct workflow more efficiently.