Etiquette for Cubicle Land - 10 Tips for a Happier Office Environment

What Not To Do in Your Cubicle!

1. Do place pictures of your family, relatives and friends on your desk but limit it to about 4 or 5 pictures maximum. You are not in jail. You will likely see some of these people when you go home. A collage of photos on your desk not only makes you look like a daydreamer, but it is very cluttered and a bit inconsiderate. Keep it simple and everyone will be happy. Also, no photos of nude men/women or anything that is offensive to other colleagues such as vulgar pictures or calendars. Not only is it rude, but you’ll likely have your HR department speaking to you very soon!
2. It is never okay during office hours to use your speaker phone! This is loud, distracting and just plain rude! Unless your cubicle has a door and a roof, I don’t recommend this. Use a headset if you would like to be hands-free from the phone while on a conference call or taking notes on a call. This not only is quiet but it is great for keeping noise out while your are not on the phone and simply just typing or working on a presentation etc.
3. Do not make personal phone calls to family and friends that involve arguing, raising your voice or offering personal details. This is an office, not your living room! You not only look like a fool, but you embarrass yourself and others with this behavior. If you’re really lucky you might even have rumors spread around the office about you.
4. Don’t send jokes or other junk email at work to your friends or cubicle neighbors. Colleagues are at work to make money and get their job done, not read your endless jokes. Never mind being irritating, if your email gets in the wrong hands you will be perceived as a lazy worker and depending on the content of the email, could even be fired!
5. Never barge into a colleagues’ cubicle! Treat their space as if it was an office with a door. You would need to knock to come in whether the door was opened or closed so a cubicle should be no different. Knock on the desk or gently let the person know you are there. If they are on the phone, it is a no-brainer, don’t interrupt! I can count the times that people used to come and sit on my desk just to chat. Treat everyone’s space with respect even though you share the same office space.
6. As a basic rule, keep your voice down. If you are on the phone, great, but remember so is everyone else. Especially if you are just chatting on your lunch hour with a colleague be cognoscente of the fact that other people are still working and their schedule is different than yours.
7. Don’t play music at your desk during working hours. This should seem like an obvious point but I’m surprised at how many people do it! With all the music we can download from online services and our own CD’s and of course the radio, many still like to feel as if they are in the comfort of their own home. If you have to listen to music, use a headset! Remember just because you enjoy what you are listening to doesn’t mean the people around you do. So, loud or not-use your ear phones.
8. Depending on your job role you might be given a cell phone, remember to keep the ringer on low or use the vibrate function. A common complaint in the offices I have worked in is that so-and-so’s phone rings so loud and is distracting. It is always best to use the vibrate setting.
9. Again, you need to remember you are not in your living room. Taking off your shoes and roaming the office in your socks, or worse- barefoot is unacceptable office behavior. Not only can it look unprofessional but it can often scare your cube-mates off with the offensive scent. And if you’ve ever thought about it-keep your pink fuzzy slippers at home where they belong!
10. NO belching, farting, nose picking or flossing your teeth at your desk. Believe it or not, people actually do this! I once went over to a colleagues’ desk and was completely disgusted to find him flossing his teeth! Sadly the washroom was about 6 feet away and he didn’t see what the problem was. I also encountered a colleague who sat next to me and was caught picking his nose while his friend on the other side caught him and watched for 5 minutes until she burst out laughing. This may sound funny but it is not office etiquette. The same holds true for farting and belching. Nobody wants to hear this outside of work so why do they want to listen to and smell you? Remember where you are and use the washroom if need be for such bodily functions.

Karla Davis is the President of Florida Home Staging & Redesign. She is a Home Stager, Professional Organizer, Interior Re-designer, as well as Public Speaker. She specializes in Staging and Organizing homes, office spaces and has over 10 years of experience and success within inside/outside Sales and Marketing. Karla is also the wife of Author, Paul Davis and is currently writing two books of her own. Karla's life mission is to positively transform the homes and lives of everyone she meets.

Please contact Karla for your Home Staging, Interior Redesign, or Professional Organizing needs at:

Karla Davis
Florida Home Staging & Redesign
Professional Home Stager
P.O. Box 684
Goldenrod, FL 32733
Tel: (407) 284-1705
Karla@FloridaHomeStager.com
http://www.FloridaHomeStager.com

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http://activerain.com/floridahomestager

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