Consideration Needed With Open Floor Plans : Gary Kaplan & Associates

Consideration Needed With Open Floor Plans

By Kevin Smith
© Pasadena Star-News, May 29, 2005

Have you ever tried to concentrate while a co-worker is on the phone discussing last night's Lakers game? Ever been enveloped by the wafting aroma of your neighbor's cologne or perfume?

You're not alone.

In today's business environment, many people are crowded together in close quarters. In some cases, they are separated from co-workers only by a flimsy partition -- a partition that allows noise, odors, ringing phones and a litany of other annoyances through.

While open floor plans maximize office space and encourage interaction, they also create environments in which individuals must be considerate and avoid distracting or offending their colleagues, said Tracey Fuller, executive director of The Creative Group, a staffing service.

Fuller offers the following tips for creating a harmonious cubicle culture:

Don't barge in. Before stepping into a colleague's work space, knock gently on the side of the entrance. This allows the individual to signal whether he or she has time to chat.

Use your library voice. Talk softly to avoid disturbing others, and don't use your speaker phone unless absolutely necessary.

Don't be an open book. Avoid lengthy personal conversations when others are within earshot. A play-by-play description of last night's game or your night on the town is best discussed outside the office.

Hit the right note. Wear headphones if you listen to music. Likewise, set your cell phone to a quiet mode, especially if you have a trendy ringtone. Your co-workers may not want to hear "Dancing Queen" every 20 minutes.

Have good scents. Keep your co-worker's olfactory sensibilities in mind. Avoid wearing too much cologne or eating particularly pungent foods at your desk.

Gary Kaplan, president of Gary Kaplan & Associates, an executive search firm based in Pasadena, said open floor plans can work well for graphic artists or computer programmers.

But companies that rely on telephone outreach need some separation.

"We are on the phone the entire day doing candidate development or source calling," Kaplan said. "We all work in (individual offices) with the doors closed. Otherwise, we'd drive each other crazy. No one wants to listen to their colleagues doing their banter all day long."

Noises, sales pitches and ringing phones are bad enough. But sometimes it gets even worse, according to Kaplan.

"A number of years ago, I was working as an HR person and several people at that company were complaining about a co-worker who didn't have ... the best hygiene habits. One woman finally placed a can of Right Guard on this person's desk - and soon after that the problem went away."

-- Kevin Smith can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2701, or by e-mail at kevin.smith@sgvn.com.

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