What’s Your Favorite Cubicle?
No one talks about it but there is a huge difference between a good and bad cubicle.
My worst cubicle was my first cubicle. It was probably ten years old, half falling apart, and puke color. The chair was old and I was always stuck in an awkward position all day.
Finally it was stuck right in the middle of a room where my boss could see directly to my screen from his office. And he would yell out at my occasionally when needed – “Get me the Librarian”…I was not down with that.
My best cubicle was my second to last. It was brand new. It was new and luxorious. It was in the middle of the row in the middle of columns. So no one snuck up on me but I was in the middle of the action. No one could see my screen so I had privacy. It was big enough that I had ample space for my personal items plus my work files.
Plus it had a sweet chair that I had set up perfectly for ergnomic reasons..
What’s been your favorite cubicle? Your worst?
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Office with a view, baby! Totally beats my previous office, which had no windows and zero natural light, in what had to have been a “sick” building.
I’ve nver been a big fan of cubicles due to their lack of privacy. But they are the “governement way”. I’m fortuante to have an office with a window. Now if we could just do something about the recirculated air in the building….
Cubicle fun! One cube where I dwelled for a year had walls about 4 feet high. Whenever we were really stressed out or wanted to celebrate a grant that we won…or similar, I would say: “Just a minute! I am going down to the wine cellar and grab us something!” Then I would do the ol’ trick where you walk along the cube and act as if you are going down some stairs…couldn’t find an example on YouTube…but found this fun, 2:45 video (which IS safe for the cubicle!):
As much as I love my new office, I miss my previous cubicle. It had a huge glass window overlooking what forest was left in Suitland and on a clear day, you can see the Washington Monument. It was a decent size, and had glass windows across cubicles so you can talk to your co-workers without having to yell over or going to someone else’s cubicle. Plus, those glass windows doubled as a white board — very CSI.
That’s a cool cubicle…
While I’m not the biggest cubicle fan, I’m suprised with lots of startups everyone is in one room without any dividing walls or privacy….not sure I’d like that…
That’s pretty sweet, Kaya…writing on the windows of your cube? I would have an artist come and create a caricature of my boss…or I’d do my best to offer a nice welcome message to my cube neighbor (writing backwards, of course). 🙂
Steve, one of the best pranks ever done to me was done in one of those startup “communal” rooms. One of our tech support guys took the time to take out all of the keys from my keyboard and rearrange all of them. Not funny then, hilarious now.
I wasn’t that creative, Andy. It was mostly my to-do and project lists. 😛
My fave was when we moved offices when I was working at the DIA. I was out of the office when they assigned new cubicles for our team. Since everyone knew I was a weather freak, I got the single cube by the window overlooking the Potomac River.
Since leaving DIA, I have been stuck in mostly windowless buildings. Except at Navstar. When I am in this office, I get to sit across the aisle and look at my boyfriend and have lunch together and carpool.
Seems like Steve is in good company…Chris Brogan is thinking about cubicles as well:
My favorite cubes:
Thirsty?
Place Your Bets!
Messy Marvins.
*Zen*
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch –
By the way, the last pic is real, it was taken here where I work.
It took me awhile to get used to a cubicle after 12 years of teaching High School and being a stay at home mom. My first cubicle (for about 2 weeks) was a double but near a window. When there were some adjust ments going on right after I was hired I was offered a single further away from the window, near the walkway. My supervisor suggested I move to the single it was “good real estate”. So I took it. Yeah the screen faces the entry, but I don’t challenge the rules too much anyway after 3 years I am busy enough! It turns out one of my supervisors informs me that I haven’t changed up my funny posted pictures in awhile-I have the “cool cube”! One visitor said once that it is very warm and welcoming when they visit. Luckily most visits are short. Did I say I am very busy now?
cubicles kill my soul, let me work from home anyday!
This reminds me of an article that was in WIRED years ago (http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/multimedia/2007/11/gallery_saddest_cubicle).
My worst cubicle was when I worked in what was called “The Fishbowl.” It was a giant, glass cubicle that was right in the front of the office. Anyone that walked by on either side could clearly see what you were doing. This was terrible by way of productivity, as I was doing a lot of design work at the time and everyone would come by, oooo, ahhh, and give their two cents. I was glad to see that one go.
My favorite cubicle was positioned in the back of an office where I had a pretty sweet setup. Huge monitor, large format printer, privacy, and lots of space.
I’m in an office now and I must say…I don’t miss the cubicle life.
Late to the conversation, but here goes…
When I started working for government, I was brought into a cavernous room with dirty vinyl floors and rows of file cabinets and even more rows of ancient metal desks squished side by side with not an inch between them, and creaky metal chairs. In the middle of one of my rows was my new home from 8:30 – 4:30. The stuff of horror movies – talk about soul crushing! I got out of that environment as fast as I could. My best gig was in private industry, where I had a small but comfy office with a bookcase and door (hooray!) and a “window” (only out to the hallway). Now I’ve got a pretty comfy cubicle from where I can see a window. If only I could control my own heat and AC!
Have you ever wondered if there some relationship between value of work and coolness of cubicle, or does the good stuff go to the guys who hang around the goal waiting for a puck to come to them?
No one wants to work in a fishbowl. I had a friend work in an office with white desks, white floors, glass walls and no interior partitions. You literally felt like you were in a fishbowl. It was so noisy and you heard so much of your neighbor’s business that it was impossible to get anything done.
My favorite cubicle is not having one. Always better to negotiate for a real office, even a small one, where yu have more privacy and quiet. If you must have a cubicle try for an expanded open space with big windows. Also proximity counts. Try for one near the power base of your office/dept. so you can interface more with leadership officials. Lastly, if you are offerred an office, never turn it down because of concerns about alienating co-workers or being undeserving. Let management know what you want and ask what you must do to obtain it.
DBG
Best and worst were on the same job. My actual cubicle was so small I could not fit a regular adult size desk because I had 2 file cabinets and a bookcase. I used one of those $99 computer desks and had to move my chair and visitor’s chair out of office to file anything. My previous boss allowed me to work from home during year end close, which made having to go back to work in my cubicle even worse. My work space at home was so much better than work.
My new boss moved me last Oct. to a larger cubicle with my file cabinets across the hall from where I work. I have a decent sized desk (no $$ now to buy furniture so got castoff from others moving into already furnished spaces.) My little desk came with me so there is someplace for visitors to work as well as sit.