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Improve Your Cube Life
or many otherwise happy workers, the cubicle is the bane of modern work life. Although cubicles give the illusion of privacy, those little walls are easily penetrated by your cube mates' incessant sounds and conversations. Not only is a lack of cube etiquette a problem, but spending most of your workday sitting can also make you feel like your muscles have seeped into your ergonomic chair.
Cube Etiquette Anyone who has resided in Cubeland knows how difficult it is to work while trying to block out coworkers' conversations. "There is always someone who doesn't quite get that if he can hear me, I can hear him," says Mary Risher, a photo editor and cube dweller for the last 10 years. "I am forever overhearing domestic tiffs, weird bodily functions, etc. I've been reduced to wearing earplugs so I can concentrate. Even then, someone's voice manages to cut through the foam." These complaints are common, says Hilka Klinkenberg, founder of Etiquette International, a New York City-based firm specializing in business etiquette. In a cube environment, professional etiquette must be elevated to a higher standard than in a traditional office because of the workers' close proximity. Klinkenberg gives these guidelines to making your office cube-friendly:
Another common complaint among cube dwellers is the feeling that they're getting "cube body." What kind of effect does long-term sitting have on you? Mary Ann Pavlides, a registered nurse and massage therapist, says her clients have experienced:
Cube Bliss Even if your cube mates are a bunch of annoying Neanderthals and your boss thinks ergonomic chairs are for wimps, cube nirvana is still possible. Angela Holton, a communications administrator and resident of Cubeland for 11 years, says existing happily in a cube requires a "bloom where you're planted" philosophy. "I keep lots of framed photographs on my desk of friends and favorite places I've visited," she says. "I also am referred to as the 'Plant Lady' because of all the greenery at my desk. I'm even considering a small Persian-type rug to place at the entrance of my cube to cozy things up a bit. The way I see it is, if you have to live in a cube, you might as well make it comfortable." |