How to Behave When Working in a Cubicle With Coworkers

Working with coworkers on a day-to-day basis may not be the easiest thing to handle. You’re in close quarters for most of the day and it could possibly start to gnaw away at you after awhile, especially if there is some lack of courtesy. It can be an even more stressful or difficult situation when you’re working in a single cubicle with your coworkers. This doesn’t have to be a rocky situation, it can actually be quite pleasant if you use the following tips.

Instructions

1. Avoid bringing strong smells into the cubicle. A strong smelling food can leave your coworkers pinching their noses. The strong smells also apply to wearing too much of a strong perfume. Your coworkers shouldn’t gag because of your choice of perfume. Limit eating strong smelling food or wearing intense perfume at work.

2. Keep your area neat and pick up after yourself. It’s your desk, but it’s in an area that other people share. You should keep your purse under your desk and out of the way where no one will trip on it. Also, if you drop any papers or you miss the garbage can, pick your trash up so that your coworkers won’t have to. Take a few minutes every couple of hours to tidy up your desk so that your coworkers won’t have a cluttered mess to look at.

3. Don’t do any grooming in the cubicle. If you need to brush your hair, file your nails or floss your teeth you should do so in the bathroom. No one wants to see you doing things that should be done in private. It’s rude and will make your coworkers feel uncomfortable.

4. Be as quiet as possible. Instead of leaving your speaker phone on to have a conversation leave it off and speak directly into the receiver. Your conversation shouldn't distract your coworkers. Also, when you’re talking on the phone, speak in as low a voice as possible. If several people were on the phone talking loudly at the same time the noise level would be quite high. In addition, if you want to listen to music, opt for listening through headphones.

5. Leave your personal matters outside of the cubicle. If you need to make an appointment with your gynecologist regarding that nasty rash you have or you want to tell your best friend about the guy you met at a restaurant, consider having these conversations away from your work area. Wait until after work hours or at least step outside for a break for a few minutes so that no one else has to hear your private conversations. Your private matter could turn into very public office gossip within minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• The more respect and courtesy you show for your coworkers, the more they will be willing to show the same courtesies to you. Work could be a much more pleasant place if everyone were more conscientious of each other.