Technology TransactionsHow to Maintain Privacy in an Office Cubicle
Few real estate offices can afford private offices for sales people. In most cases open cubicles are the order of the day. And a cubicle where you have space for a desktop computer is a rarity. How do you conduct business from the office and maintain privacy at the same time?
Interruptions are the most common complaint of office workers. Statistics show that the average office worker is interrupted every nine minutes, mostly by people stopping by to chat. Many people misinterpret the fact that if you aren"t on the phone, it is OK to interrupt. You may patiently respond, but after it happens over six times in an hour, you may be ready to blow your stack. At risk in constant interruptions is the privacy of your negotiations which may be sensitive, unbeknownst to the agent who stops by wanting to know something personal, share a story going around the office, or ask you about your business without having a buyer for your property.
Rick Brinkman, co-author of How to Deal with Difficult People, offers the following suggestions for office "blurters," people who think nothing of blurting out every thought they have and stopping by your cubicle for a chat every time you accidentally make eye contact.
1. Re-arrange your office furniture, positioning your back toward the door or the aisle.
2. Try to avoid giving unconscious permission for other workers to enter your work space. Try not to make eye contact with passers-by and keep your head bent toward your work.
3. Watch your body language. Leaning back from the desk, raising your head, or removing your hands from your keyboard all signal that you are ready for an interruption.
4. At the next office meeting, have the office adopt a signal that means "don"t interrupt." Closed doors are obvious, but for those working in cubicles, a desktop accessory such as a little flag could be raised.
5. If you have room for a visitor chair, stack some things on it to discourage protracted visits.
6. Learn to deflect conversation by giving an appropriate response. To a gossiper, say "Thanks for the info, but I have to get this done." To the complainer: "I hear you, but I can"t give you the time you deserve right now." To the hovering boss: "Thanks for the advice. I better get on it right away."
Your privacy can also be invaded even when you aren"t present in the office. Sometimes co-workers think it is perfectly all right to view what is on your PC screen or even help themselves to your system while you are away from your desk.
Stephen Canale, technology and real estate trainer recommends that the problem could be resolved by how you set your screen saver. "Most people set the system to require a password to "deactivate" the screen saver, once it has been initiated," says Canale. "The bad news is they set the screen saver to activate after a set amount of time."
This can be inconvenient as you find yourself typing your password again over and over throughout the day, causing many people to turn off "password protection" off, opening the door to invasions from computer-poor co-workers.
Canale"s solution? "Set your screen saver to start, with password protection,after a long delay; thirty minutes, for example. Then, using Windows Explorer, go to your Windows/System directory and find the screen saver of your choice. (Hint, these files end in the .src extension) Create a "shortcut" from this file to your desktop (or start menu) and now you can start your screen saver anytime you want, by simply clicking on the new icon."
"Not only will you avoid being bothered by constantly having to enter your own password, but you can now start this protection instantly, without worrying about someone accessing your system before the default activation time has been reached! If you leave the office, and forget to turn your screen saver on, it will still start after the set time has passed."