When you talk about offices, you will think about cubicles or small office spaces where each employee can work during their shifts. Some cubicles are open, allowing people to talk to their colleagues easily, and others are private, offering people a space to entirely focus on their work.
Considering that these cubicles are meant for work, it is vital that you practice proper cubicle etiquette, especially if the arrangements are open for people to just barge in or interrupt because of their work. To get you started, here are 10 best practices that you should do in your office space:
1. Knock Before Talking
Before speaking to someone from another cubicle, knock on their table or door. This will allow the person to pay attention to you and give them time to decline if you catch them at the wrong time.
2. Pick The Right Food
Sometimes, it can be tempting to eat in your cubicle so you can work while eating. However, certain foods make a distinct odour, which can offend your coworkers or cause their allergies to flare up. If you want to eat, do it in the pantry or canteen area of your building.
3. Don’t Use Speaker Phones
Whether you have an open cubicle setup or a closed one, you should avoid using speaker phones because the noise will annoy your coworkers. Use a headset if you don’t want to hold your phone while on a call.
4. Regulate Your Speaking Voice
Sound is easily carried to a space in a cubicle setup, which can disturb the people around you. If you have a loud voice, regulate your volume so that you won’t create an echo that your coworkers can hear when you talk.
5. Medicate If You Have Indigestion
As mentioned above, certain scents can cause an unpleasant reaction from people within the vicinity. Gas caused by indigestion is one of these reactions. If you feel indigestion, take the proper medications or go to the bathroom immediately.
6. Put Your Phone Or Computer On Silent Mode
If you are in an open cubicle setup, it is best that you don’t make as much noise as possible to prevent disturbing your coworkers. With this in mind, you should have your phone and computer silent. If you are expecting a call, put it on vibrate so you can still be alerted when it happens.
7. Don’t Transform Your Cubicle Into A Personal Room
Cubicles are given to each employee so they can focus on their work and not be used for anything else, such as grooming and other personal activities. If you want to personalize your cubicle, make sure it is designed to help you with your productivity and not be a duplicate of your bedroom.
8. Don’t Hover Around Others
Hovering around someone’s cubicle can be very disturbing for people, especially if it is done constantly. If you want to take a short break, go to the office’s rest area or in the pantry.
9. No Shouting
If you have an open cubicle setup, you should never shout whenever you need to reach out to someone from another cubicle. Not only is it disturbing to surrounding people, but it is also impolite. If you need to speak to someone, go to their cubicle or send them an email.
10. Don’t Invade
Cubicles are made so people can focus on their work in peace and not be disturbed by others. With this said, you should not invade their cubicle space unless you need to speak to them about work. As mentioned above, you can knock before you talk to them or reach out to them by other means.
If you want to have a productive and healthy work environment, you need to follow the right etiquette to make it possible. Try the ten practices we listed above and see for yourself how they can change the way your work life will improve, even in a cubicle setup.
Working in an office set up requires cooperation from everyone and a cohesive working team. Here are tips to create a friendly working environment for you and your coworkers: How to Motivate Your Colleagues How to Solve a Disagreement Among Team Members on a Projects Why Peer Recognition is Important at Work
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