All of us have at some point in our growing years played “office-office”. Our idea of office was a big table inside a cabin and a secretary to take down what you dictated. Office set-ups have changed, and yet not over the years. The workplace has become far more relaxed and informal. So if you do have an office with a door and real walls, remind yourself to be considerate about the people outside of it. Don’t flaunt it. Shut your door when you must: when you need to concentrate, when you’re meeting with a visitor or when you’re discussing a confidential matter. Beware of slamming your door if you’re bothered by a conversation going on outside; get up and shut the door as softly as possible.
The way you arrange your office, and the body language you exhibit when people come to visit, speak about your attitude as either welcoming or standoffish. If your office requires you to have visitor’s chairs across your desk, ensure that your desk does not become a barrier. Ease the atmosphere by walking around to greet people. No matter who or what the situation is, anytime you leave your desk and sit near someone, you set the stage for a more relaxed discussion.
Then there are the cubicles. People in cubicles are always visible to each other and so accessible that the lines for interaction are blurred. However compact or noisy the arrangement, people in open office spaces deserve to have their time and space respected. A cubicle is as much an employee’s territory as the CEO’s office is hers.
Just as you wouldn’t barge into anyone’s office through a closed door, don’t enter a cubicle without asking. Co-workers who interact for most of the day are exempt from this courtesy, but anyone else who visits should ask permission in one way or another.
For the same reason, keep the practice of standing up or hanging over the wall to speak to the person in the neighbouring cubicle to a minimum. You could and must tell a co-worker politely yet firmly that you do not appreciate this habit. Think of saying, ‘Could you please come over to my side so we could talk? Or, I’ll come over as soon as I’m done.’ Such a request serves as a reminder to both you and your neighbours that there’s no substitute for communicating face-to-face.
An unfortunate by-product of cubicle life is the ability of those around you to hear everything you say and vice versa. It takes a strong-willed person to tune out voices around him, and it’s often impossible. You could try the following:
Politely dissuade co-workers from loitering or socialising around your desk. ‘Would you guys mind taking your conversation elsewhere? I really have to concentrate on this task’ should get the message across.
When hosting visitors, use the common area or the conference room, so your neighbours are not disturbed.
Carry out confidential discussions at a private space, so it doesn’t become office gossip.
Whenever you don’t want a phone call to be overheard, step out, use the conference room or save the conversation for after hours.
If you walk up to someone in a cubicle (or a closed office) and she’s on the phone, don’t hover around and wait for her to hang up. Try again later or signal for them to call you once they are done.
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