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Interruptions are a major cause of work stress. Cube dwellers know this all too well: There are no doors, soundproofing, peace or privacy. It's hard enough to concentrate at work without unwanted visitors strolling into your space and peering over your shoulder.
Wall Street Journal columnist Jared Sandberg calls them desk surfers. Business-etiquette expert Ann Marie Sabath calls them cubicle lurkers. They are gossips, snoops, chatterboxes and well-meaning colleagues who magically appear in your cube, usually when you're on deadline. Their evil cousins, the pod squatters, wait in your cube for you to return from lunch, the restroom or your meeting, making it harder to evict them when they're already sitting in your guest chair.
Combine cube crashers with speakerphone loudmouths, prairie dog peers popping up over cube walls, the stench of burnt microwave popcorn and the occasional Nerf gun assault, and it's amazing you can ever get anything done. No wonder some people put rearview mirrors on their monitors or baby gates across thresholds.
"People don't realize there are invisible doors," says Sabath, president of At Ease Inc. and author of Business Etiquette in Brief: The Competitive Edge for Today's Professional.
Four Sanity-Saving Tips
Short of pelting intruders with Post-It Notes, heed these tips to preserve privacy and productivity in cubeland:
- Stand Up for Your Rights: As soon as someone tries to crash your cube, stand up and meet him. Tell the invader you need to keep your conversation brief, and if you're on deadline, set up another time to meet. "Don't initiate a conversation," Sabath warns in her book. "Start working, perhaps by making a phone call, and hope the person has the presence of mind to realize that you're busy dealing with a critical project."
- Don't Make Eye Contact: Remember what your mother told you to avoid being attacked by a big, scary dog? Same applies to giving cube crashers the fade. Sabath notes, "If you make eye contact, people misinterpret that as an invitation to come in." Keep working, don't look up, and perceptive lurkers will walk on by.
- Signs of the Times: Sabath recommends a variation of the do not disturb sign. Hang a red "deadline alert" or "work in progress" sign to ward off intruders, and alternate it with a green sign for times when you are accessible. Vary the signs and messages lest coworkers think you're permanently grumpy.
- Don't Get Boxed In: Sit with your back to your cube doorway, and put something on your guest chair to avoid walk-in plop downs. If a desk surfer breaks your invisible perimeter, politely say you're on deadline, and set up another meeting time. If the person wants to chat about personal matters, tell him you'll talk at lunch, on a break or after hours. Turn your computer monitor so drop-ins can't see your work. Sabath shuns headphones -- they can make you appear antisocial, and you won't hear what's sneaking up behind you.
"People are nosy," Sabath admits. "But it's important to set boundaries."
Key Insight: Taming Podmates
People who share cubicles or "pods" are more challenged to maintain peace and quiet. Sabath recommends laying down some ground rules from the time you move in. "Sit back to back, and carve out your own space," she says. Tell your podmate: "I realize you're on deadline a lot, and I want to be respectful of your time. If I interrupt your conversation, will you let me know? May I be as blunt with you?"
"The key is to keep peace," Sabath says. Hone your Garbo "I want to be alone" look -- with a smile.
Quick Tip: Escape from Podzilla
If Podzilla won't take the hint, go somewhere else. Move to an empty conference room, and forward your phone. If you have to do this more than a few times, ask your supervisor about moving to a different pod. Your productivity is your responsibility.
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