| Building and maintaining strong business relationships is | | | | exclamations or noises that show displeasure over a |
| the key to success. While keys are designed to unlock | | | | task or interaction. If you have a condition that causes |
| doors, in the modern workplace, doors are about as | | | | you to make noises that might be annoying to others |
| scarce as good manners. It is estimated that over 40 | | | | (coughs, nose blowing, etc.) consider making frequent |
| million North Americans work in open environments. | | | | trips to the restroom to avoid distracting or grossing |
| That is, of course, a nice way of saying cubicles. And | | | | out your associates. Do not shout over cubicles. Keep |
| while, cubicles may not have doors, they can act as | | | | your voice down when speaking to others in the office |
| barriers to strong working relationships. | | | | or by telephone. People do work better when it's quiet. |
| Corporations have embraced cubicles because saving | | | | Odor Beaters |
| space saves money. And in these times of constant | | | | We become immune to our own smells. It's possible |
| restructuring, it is also useful to have workspaces that | | | | that your perfume is too strong or your body has built |
| are easy, fast and relatively inexpensive to reconfigure. | | | | up a resistance to your favorite deodorant. Every |
| This also comes in handy when projects and teams | | | | once in a while, ask someone you trust for their |
| are fluid. Another touted benefit of cubicles is the ease | | | | feedback and offer to do the same for them. Nothing |
| of collaboration between colleagues, but where there | | | | is worse than being secretly known as the "stink |
| is ease of collaboration it is also easy to have | | | | bomb". Do not polish your nails or use nail polish |
| confrontation and complaints. | | | | remover at your desk. If you have food in your cubicle, |
| This anger and grumbling is primarily a result of the | | | | keep it sealed and if there is a lunchroom available, use |
| more frequent interruptions and lack of privacy that go | | | | it rather than eating at your desk. The curry doesn't |
| with the open territory. Interruptions are not only | | | | smell so good second time round and no one is |
| caused by a co-worker speaking directly to you, they | | | | impressed by someone working through their lunch |
| can also be a result of visual or auditory distractions. | | | | and leaving grease marks on file folders and crumbs |
| Even a noxious smell, such as burnt popcorn wafting | | | | at their desk. |
| from your neighbors' cubicle can cause you to look up | | | | Eye Candy |
| and even grab a handful. | | | | Free expression is a need best met at home. Consider |
| Interruptions, aside from being an annoyance, also | | | | the image you wish to project before decorating your |
| reduce productivity. A study conducted by Basex | | | | cubicle. What does a stuffed animal collection or Star |
| determined that office distractions take up 2.1 hours of | | | | Trek memorabilia say about a person? Take down |
| the average day - 28% - with workers taking an | | | | out of date greeting cards. Keep your medications and |
| average of five minutes to recover from each | | | | vitamins out of sight. Do not display anything that may |
| interruption and return to their original tasks | | | | be perceived as offensive or degrading to any |
| When workers are out in the open, their personal | | | | individual or group. This includes religious or political |
| habits and relationships are on display as well. This lack | | | | material. Don't take silly chances, it's not worth it. |
| of privacy can feel invasive and offensive. It's true that | | | | Respect Their Space |
| the close quarters of office cubicles in companies are | | | | A person's workstation becomes an extension of |
| a breeding ground for hot tempers, resentments and | | | | themselves and it's natural to feel territorial. Respect a |
| damaged relations. It's also true that most of our | | | | person's space and do not lean their dividers or sit on |
| complaints about our co-workers are valid and should | | | | their desk when conversing or waiting for others. If you |
| not be ignored. The challenge is to devise and employ | | | | have to use someone's workstation, leave everything |
| strategies to create goodwill in the office so that minor | | | | exactly as you found it and do not take anything with |
| annoyances do not explode into a toxic work | | | | you. |
| environment that no one will benefit from. | | | | Privacy "Shmivacy"Avoid lengthy personal calls in your |
| While it may seem obvious that extending cubicle | | | | cubicle of any kind, including calls to or from your |
| courtesies will go a long way to create goodwill in the | | | | children, squabbles with your spouse, calls to your bank, |
| office, little is written about it. A quick Google search | | | | etc. Most offices have dedicated meeting rooms for |
| yielded 247,000 results for "cubicle anger" 180,000 | | | | such purposes or you can take your cell phone to a |
| results for "cubicle complaints" and a mere 894 results | | | | more private place. If you are collaborating or having a |
| for "cubicle courtesies". | | | | discussion with your colleagues, ensure that no one in |
| Let's face it, we cube dwellers are all in this together. | | | | the vicinity is being disturbed or hearing confidential |
| Follow these fundamental cubicle courtesies and your | | | | matters. Be prepared to take your meeting elsewhere. |
| work environment will be much more enjoyable and | | | | Even though you may innocently overhear things from |
| productive for everyone. Lead by example and | | | | your neighbors, assume that anything that is not said |
| thoughtfully and sensitively speak up when others are | | | | directly to you is none of your business. You may |
| discourteous to you. | | | | even mention to the loud talker that they may not |
| Spark the Quiet Riot | | | | want you to know them THAT well! Keep it light, but |
| Mute your volume, and reduce your number of | | | | get the message across. |
| sound-activated keystrokes or messages ("You've got | | | | Open environments and cubicles are here to stay. |
| mail", etc) to avoid bothering those around you. Avoid | | | | Ensure that your business relationships enjoy that |
| using the speakerphone function of your telephone. | | | | same longevity by employing strategies of cubicle |
| Instead, use the handset or a headset. Try not to pop | | | | courtesies that will open the door to a more productive |
| your gum, slurp your coffee or make loud | | | | and enjoyable workplace. |
