Cubicles

In the past, I have had a very nice office with large windows and a door that closed. While the office was hot in the summer and freezing in the winter, I really enjoyed my privacy. Interestingly, though, I rarely got anything done. My space became a haven for anyone who wanted to just visit or had something really important to tell me. You see, my door had no windows facing out into the hallway, so someone could come in and chat without anyone knowing how long they were in there. And, because of the way my desk sat, I really couldn’t get up to “walk” the person out the door as a hint.

Now, I sit in an open area. At first, it really took some getting used to. Now that I’m more comfortable with the setting, I love it. I enjoy the open feeling of it. The company did a good job of setting up the area so it wasn’t floor to ceiling cubicle walls. Instead, they are set up in small groups of 3 -5 stations in one very large area. Plus, they have a huge floor to ceiling window looking out on the most gorgeous setting. Ok, that might be an exaggeration. I can see the great setting, but those from far away only see the Sanford Hospital towers and a faint glimmer of the cars on the interstate. Probably the most important thing is that they have white noise playing overhead. It’s interesting, I really don’t notice it at all unless I stop and truly listen. It does a great job of drowning out conversations. Unless you are a loud talker (and yep, there are a few of them!), you really have to try to speak up to have a conversation with the person in the cube next to you.

Ok, here is the most important reason why I love this so much. No one can come and hang out for hours on end and interrupt my work. I get a ton more work done than I ever thought possible. When someone does stop by to chat, it’s just for a couple of minutes. And, everyone always instant messages first before they do so. I believe this setting really generates a lot more respect between team members. I truly enjoy my cubicle!