Do you have a “constitution” or some other guiding principles document for your collaboration space? I have found that a short list of shared values for the team working in a collaboration space can be a valuable tool. It allows new team members to quickly get in the groove and reduces friction among team members whose personal tastes may be in conflict.

One of my favorite rules is “There must be food.” Having been on a bit of a get healthy kick lately I might modify this to read “There must be healthy food.” What ever your choices be they Oreos and Licorice or fruits and vegetables I think you will find this a popular and useful principle.

The opportunity to take a small break and wander over to the snack table while contemplating a tricky bit of coding can be invaluable.