The Etiquette Edge, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 14

Office Space

Make Working Together More Enjoyable and Productive

We can all enjoy the antics of Dilbert and the long-suffering, cubicle-bound workers in those cartoons. Yet it’s not quite so funny when what the cartoon characters endure happens to us.

The open office lined with cubicles rather than rooms with doors has cut costs and made the workplace more efficient. The idea emerged from a combination of the move to reengineer organizations with fewer command-and-control managers and the theory that collaboration among peers, even among those in different departments, would improve effectiveness and communication. However, an open floor plan has significant drawbacks. When you’re trying to concentrate on a major project, laughter, ...