Avoid Doing These 12 Activities in Your Office Cubicle
In the modern business world, cubicles are designed as small spaces with semi-private boundaries.
This space is indeed your privacy, but it’s also part of a shared workspace.
But have you ever thought about how some seemingly insignificant behaviors in this small space can affect the focus and peace of mind of your colleagues? If you want to be taken seriously at work, treat your office space with respect.
To provide yourself and your colleagues with a pleasant and professional environment, it’s essential to know what not to do in your cubicle.
But what are the activities you should avoid doing in your private cubicle? In your private cubicle, avoid behaviors that disrupt the shared work environment. Loud conversations, personal phone calls, or playing music without headphones can distract others.
Refrain from eating strong-smelling foods that might bother nearby colleagues.
Keep your workspace tidy to maintain a professional image and prevent clutter from affecting shared areas.
Avoid excessive personalization that could seem unprofessional or distracting. Also, respect the boundaries of your coworkers by not intruding into their spaces or engaging them in unwanted conversations.
By being mindful of these actions, you contribute to a more respectful and productive workplace.
1- Discussing your personal issues by phone
The cubicle walls are thin and your voice can easily be heard by your colleagues. So it is better to avoid personal discussions on the phone in your office cubicle because your voice disturbs the peace and concentration of your colleagues.
Especially if you are used to talking loudly on the phone, your voice will be heard directly in the open and without privacy.
On the other hand, these conversations endanger your privacy, and information from your personal and family life can be heard unintentionally. Discussing emotional or stressful issues also causes stress in your colleagues.
This way, your image in the workplace and among your colleagues will be tarnished. Therefore, it is better to have these conversations outside the cubicle and in a private space to respect others and maintain your professional personality.
2- Talking loudly to your colleagues over the cubicle wall
Cubicles are usually not soundproof, so talking loudly over the cubicle wall will disrupt your colleagues’ concentration and peace. By doing so, you are not only disrupting others’ work but also disrespecting their privacy.
If you need to communicate with your colleague, you can enter their cubicle and speak in a low voice. And can use email to message them. You can also avoid such problems by having a meeting with your colleague in a meeting room and in a quiet manner.
3- Using strong perfume
Don’t use strong perfume or air fresheners in your office cubicle. Your coworkers may be sensitive to strong scents and may experience allergies, respiratory problems, or headaches. Strong scents spread quickly and can be irritating to people near your cubicle. T
his can reduce their concentration and productivity. Also, wearing strong scents in the workplace is not professional at all.
4- Napping in your office cubicle
Napping in your cubicle is completely unprofessional behavior. It shows a non-serious and uncommitted image of you.
Sleeping in your office cubicle, even for a short time, may distract your colleagues.
If you angle your chair slightly, no one may notice you napping, but it is better to avoid doing so.
This behavior can be considered disrespectful to the organization and duties by colleagues and managers.
Therefore, if you feel extremely tired, it is better to use the company’s break room.
5- Excessive Decorating
A cubicle is indeed a personal space, but in reality, your office cubicle space also affects your colleagues. Excessive decoration may disturb others and affect their visual space.
Also, having too many objects on your desk will make you lose focus while working.
Cubicle decorations may make you appear unserious and managers will feel that you are more focused on the decorations than on the tasks.
These decorations are only appropriate during special occasions like Halloween or Christmas.
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6- Using speakerphone
Speakerphones are for conference calls involving multiple people in a room with a closed door. Speakerphones are not for one-on-one calls held in a cubicle because you can’t be bothered to hold the handset to your ear.
If it makes for a more comfortable conversation, get a headset.
Because using a speakerphone in a cubicle not only makes your voice but also the other person’s conversation audible to others.
This violates both the privacy of the conversation and disrupts the concentration of colleagues.
7- Walk in unannounced
Usually, when people sit in a cubicle, they have their backs to the outside workspace. Few things are more unnerving than turning slightly and seeing someone standing right behind you. Announce your entry into someone else’s workspace.
Find a hard surface like the connector pieces of the wall to knock on or gently tap them on the shoulder, especially if they have headphones on and can’t hear you coming.
8- Having gross conversations
No one wants to hear about your latest foot fungus or your cousin’s eye surgery. Keep those types of conversations quiet and out of earshot. Talking about irrelevant topics can be embarrassing and hurt your colleagues.
Such discussions can make others feel uncomfortable and make the environment unprofessional and unpleasant.
9- Talking loudly
Other people are trying to concentrate on work, so please use your inside voice. Don’t forget that you aren’t the only person in the room. A loud booming voice is distracting to those around you and shows you don’t care about other people’s conversations.
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10- Eating foul-smelling foods
No matter how delicious you may find your tuna sandwich, most people don’t want to smell fish when they’re not eating it. Take your lunch to the break room. It’s a healthier way to eat lunch, anyway. You aren’t supposed to eat at your desk!
11- Doing disgusting things
Clipping your fingernails or flossing your teeth can be a multi-sensory barrage. No one wants to experience that. If you do feel the need to clean your nails or your teeth, please use the bathroom.
12- Borrowing something from someone’s cubicle without permission.
It’s true that cubicles don’t have doors, but that doesn’t mean you can just walk into someone else’s cubicle and borrow their stuff without permission. Taking things from your coworker’s cubicle is rude and unprofessional.
It shows disrespect and violates their privacy, and it destroys the sense of trust between coworkers.
Also touching your coworker’s stuff without permission can lead to misunderstandings.
Want to read more about cubicle etiquette? Here are 7 common sense office cubicle etiquette tips!
John Ofield is a recognized expert in the office furniture and office cubicle industry, with over 40 years of experience. As the founder of ROSI Office Systems, he specializes in space planning, custom cubicle designs, and high-quality commercial furniture. John’s expertise helps businesses enhance productivity and collaboration. He is also dedicated to mentoring entrepreneurs and redefining workspaces to inspire success.
