We’ve talked about setting limits for cubicle decoration, but that’s from an employer’s point of view. If it’s your cubicle and there isn’t an official policy, where should you draw the line for yourself?
At EthoSource, we strongly believe in the customized cubicle: anything that improves your workspace and helps you be more productive should be acceptable. But there are things that can make you or people around you less productive. What are some things you should think twice about when it comes to your workspace?
Certainly, it depends on your company culture. There are firms where toys and art objects are actively encouraged, and firms where colored Post-It notes are considered too frivolous for the workplace. You need to know which is true where you work.
It can also depend on your job. Graphic designers may get more leeway than accountants, even if that’s not fair. On the other hand, there are companies where only entry-level workers are expected to have personal items at their workstations — or where the freedom to have so much as a vase of flowers has to be earned, and underlings are expected to keep their desks clear.
It may also depend on how public your workspace is. Does someone else use it on your days off? Can visitors see it as they head for the boardroom? Standards may be different for you than for someone whose space is less accessible.
Here are some things you should probably think twice about, no matter where you work:
- Clutter Even if you’re hard at work, cluttering up your workspace and desk makes you look like a mess. Not only can it affect others’ opinion of you, but clutter is stressful for many people — even if they only have to see it in your workspace.
- Kitchen gear Try to prevent dirty dishes from building up and stacks of take-out boxes from taking over. The fruit peels in your wastebasket and the science experiment on your shelf (you might call it your coffee mug) can even lead to smells and bugs.
- Excessive Photos A few photos in a cubicle give a sense of the person who works there. Going overboard, however, and plastering photos across your cubicle shows your boss you’re thinking about things other than work and might end up costing you your job.
- Hunting Photos You may be proud of the ten point buck you bagged last weekend but it’s possible that someone in your workplace will find your trophy photo disturbing.
- Political posters Freedom of Speech is a right we all share but our views on politics and political figures vary significantly cubicle to cubicle, even if you think your office generally agrees. Unfortunately, politics is a subject that can make people emotional, and tempers can flare.
- Fan Crazy It’s fine to love the Steelers or The Boss, but there’s a limit to the amount of love that seems normal in the workplace. Keep your fan shrine in check to keep from giving the impression that work is just something you do to fill your time between games or gigs.
- PDAs Speaking of love, that affectionate photo of you and your spouse is sweet, but a steamy photo could be a mistake. Even if it doesn’t cause offense — and that’s hard to predict — it can simply be too much information for the office.