Rarely do employees have offices; in fact, in a number of organizations, even management level employees do not have office space. For those individuals who grew up with office space designated for employees (at a minimum for those in supervisory level roles and higher), getting used to working “out in the open” is difficult. However, cubicles provide a variety of benefits including:
- Easier collaboration
- Team building opportunities
- Greater productivity (more difficult to “goof off” when you are in the open)
Of course the other side of the coin (having office space) enables for a feeling of accomplishment that you have secured an office space and, for some, privacy enables for greater productivity (due to less interruptions).
Let’s assume you work in cubicle space, how can you make the best of it? How do you “manage the cubicle?” Try these steps:
- Decorate! Make the cubicle your own. Keep it professional of course, but certainly include photos, posters, etc. Make it a place you want to hang out.
- Put a note outside your cubicle entrance with “Privacy please…hard at work on a project!” This way people will leave you alone when you are trying to get work done and don’t want to be interrupted.
- Wear headphones and listen to music. This way you can “tune out” others and concentrate better.
- Do take some time to make the best of being in a cube – check in with your “neighbors,” spend a few minutes each day socializing.
- Ask for help! In the middle of a problem, ask the person next to you if they might be able to spend a few minutes brainstorming solutions with you.
You might not be able to change the fact that you are in a cubicle; so make the best of it. How about you? Are you in a cubicle? What do you do to make it a productive and fantastic work environment? Have bad cubicle mates? How do you handle those? Share your comments with others. Thanks!
