Business Etiquette

Cubicle Dwelling
In the real world of cutting costs and maximizing space, cubicles have become more and more prominent in the workplace. With cubicles come a decrease in privacy and less more noise. Here’s how to be a good cube citizen:

• Allow others their privacy. If you are walking by a cube, and notice a private conversation going on, or a phone conversation in progress, walk on by.
• Privacy, and thus, confidentiality go out the proverbial window in this windowless, doorless environment. The best way to maintain confidentiality is this: don’t have sensitive conversations in your cube. Save them for more private areas.
• If you are having a work-related conversation with someone, and a fellow cube dweller pops in, apologize, and state that you really need to stay focused on the task at hand. Set a time to meet with the interrupter later, and keep that appointment.
• As a team, you may want to come up with a system for letting each other know that you shouldn’t be interrupted. Come up with a signal that you all can agree on, and commit to respecting that signal. Maybe turning your name plate upside down, attaching a small post-it in a certain color on your nameplate (green for come on in, yellow for interrupt for important stuff only, red for do not disturb…) or some other subtle signal that everyone agrees to respect.
• Prairie Dogging (popping your head up to check up on your neighbors) can feel very intrusive to others. Of course, if you hear screaming, you probably need to pop up and see if someone is safe, but in other situations, don’t let your curiosity get the best of you.
  
  

Gossip
Gossip is an invasion of privacy and harmful to productivity and morale. But, every office has their share of Gossipy Gertie’s who always make it their business to know everyone else's business. While you can’t force a person to give up the gossip, you can manage your behavior in such a way that they feel compelled to change their own behavior. Here’s what I mean: When someone approaches you and blurts out a coworker’s deepest darkest secret, avoid your natural impulse to get more information. Instead, back up a half step, put your hands up in front of you, and say "whoa… that is a little too much information for me. I’d really rather not know about this". Gertie will not get the reward she’s seeking, which is to have power/status because of her possession of special knowledge that you want, and will be (gently) rebuffed in the process. The next time she has the goods on someone, she won’t share it with you. Of course, if only one person in the office rejects the gossip, it won’t make that much difference. But, what if half of the office staff take the same stance? Gossip can’t thrive without willing participants, and the power of the gossipers will be curtailed. In work teams where gossip is rife, and is impacting people and productivity, it’s time to make gossiping a group issue. Make your concerns (without pointing fingers) an agenda item for the next team meeting, and come up with a group commitment to contain it.