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OBEX Panel Extenders
  • Home
  • Products
    • Barriers for Health and Safety
    • Mobile Freestanding Screens
    • Dividers and Screens for Schools
    • Cubicle Wall & Panel Extenders
    • Desk & Table Mount Privacy Panels
    • Free Standing Desk Mount Privacy Panels
    • Ceiling Hung Screens
    • Ceiling Sound Baffles
    • Split Screen Panels
    • Desk & Table Mounted Modesty Panels
    • Tack Boards
    • Whiteboard Privacy Screens
    • Designer Collection
  • Installation
  • Options
    • Privacy Panel Options
    • Tack Board Options
    • GSA
  • Photos
  • Contact Us
  • (760) 542-7444
  • Home
  • Products
    • Barriers for Health and Safety
    • Mobile Freestanding Screens
    • Dividers and Screens for Schools
    • Cubicle Wall & Panel Extenders
    • Desk & Table Mount Privacy Panels
    • Free Standing Desk Mount Privacy Panels
    • Ceiling Hung Screens
    • Ceiling Sound Baffles
    • Split Screen Panels
    • Desk & Table Mounted Modesty Panels
    • Tack Boards
    • Whiteboard Privacy Screens
    • Designer Collection
  • Installation
  • Options
    • Privacy Panel Options
    • Tack Board Options
    • GSA
  • Photos
  • Contact Us
  • (760) 542-7444

Monthly Archives : January 2014

Home/2014/January

Is Your Cubicle Farm Really a Zoo?

25 January 2014Mark Canavarrooffice design, Uncategorizedcubicle, cubicle exenders No comment

_17O9608(1)Did you know? Some experts think cubicle farms are similar to zoos, in the way they modify behavior. If your workers are feeling the bite of captivity, perhaps finding ways to let them out of their cages can help!

Psychologist and corporate consultant Judith Heerwagen says you don’t have to get rid of cubicles – just ensure that workers don’t feel trapped.

“Sometimes the best thing for workers to do is to leave the workplace altogether and work from home or at a coffee shop,” she says. With the advent of VoIP, mobile phones and the ability to “plug in” almost anywhere, this is a viable options for some – but for others, how can you lessen the closed-in feel?

“People communicate better when they can see one another,” says Heerwagen. Since open offices are in decline and the traditional gossip at the water cooler option has faded with the dwindling of the regular enclosed office, most conversation now happens within cubicles.

Low-partitioned cubicles can relieve some of the closed-in feeling, and allow for spontaneous collaboration as workers pop up to ask a colleague a question. Varied cubicle extenders can help workers who feel they need more privacy attain the level of seclusion desired, while less easily distracted employees can enjoy a line of sight to co-workers.

The psychology of cubicle farms can also be addressed by layout – setting up cubes so that workers have their side to the opening instead of their back automatically reduces stress – humans have basic instincts telling them not to leave their backs unprotected, and many workers report a sense of security and “weight being lifted off shoulders” when their cubicle is reconfigured so their back isn’t to the gaping entrance to their cube.

Another option is the idea of shared space – combine two cubicles into one, design around seating for two people, and allow co-workers who commonly work together on projects to share space and resources. Alternately,. allow co-workers to come in on different shifts and take turns using a larger cubicle. Same amount of work, same number of employees, twice the legroom!

Don’t let your cubicle farm feel like a zoo. Allow your workers some say in how their cages are configured, look into cubicle extenders to provide customizable workspaces, and see higher productivity and better employee job satisfaction!

 

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Friday Pick Me Up: Office Birthdays

24 January 2014Mark Canavarroworkplace cultureworkplace culture, workplace distractions No comment

Does your office do the employee birthday “thing”? If so, here’s some things to keep in mind:

DO: Acknowledge an employee’s special day. If you are their boss, make sure you mention it, and maybe a long lunch would be nice. If you are a coworker and are close, a little card or token is acceptable – if you just know them from across the office dropping in and saying “Happy Birthday” is sufficient.

DON’T: Go over the top. It’s a workplace, not party central. The last thing everyone needs is a constant barrage of elaborate birthday parties. A singing telegram is the very last thing an employee wants – you have to work with them afterwards so don’t humiliate them!

DO: Let the office be involved appropriately. Having a cake each month to celebrate everyone’;s birthday that month is ideal for large offices.  If you work in a smaller office, get the whole office to go out to lunch or drinks after work.

DON’T: Make it all about getting to booze it up at work. Keep the alcohol until after you’re done for the day. Arrange for a Happy Hour after work, so there’s nothing embarrassing going on on company property.

Does your company allow birthday celebrations, or encourage them at work? Tell us your stories!

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Open Plan Didn’t Always mean “Open”

18 January 2014Mark Canavarropanel extenderscubicle, panel extenders No comment

cubicle privacy panelsDid you know that open plan office layouts can create significant problems for workers? If you’ve been reading this blog, you’ve seen the arguments against it. However,  you need to read between the lines in some of these studies. Most people don’t know that in the early days, the term “open plan” was used for all office designs that didn’t have private offices with “real” walls – and that included cubicle floor plans!

Today, most people consider the term open plan to mean benching or other workstation setups that have low dividers, or even no panels at all. They use the term “closed plan” both for actual cubicles and for architectural walls that create separate workspaces for individuals, which can be deceiving as the average cubicle is about a tenth the size of a regular office and not at all the same thing!

An Australian study about the health effects of “open plan” offices compiled data that showed higher stress levels, elevated blood pressure, and more conflict in office environments where walls are lacking – meaning open office spaces caused problems! The doctor interviewed regarding the study said lack of proper physical barriers/boundaries was the problem, saying:

“The high level of noise causes employees to lose concentration, leading to low productivity, there are privacy issues because everyone can see what you are doing on the computer or hear what you are saying on the phone, and there is a feeling of insecurity.”

So how do you manage space constraints with cost effective employee benfits?

Since we can’t throw reducing the average office’s real estate footprint out the window, compromises have to be made. The main problems to be addressed when dealing with an office created with an open floor plan are, as noted:

  • High noise level causing distraction and lowering productivity
  • Lack of visual and audible privacy making workers feel stressed

Offices with little or no panel privacy are at highest risk for employee dissatisfaction.  Our panel extenders (which can be included with cubicle orders) could be a lifesaver – they can make cubicle walls taller and increase their noise blocking ability. This helps immensely with both issues, and could be the answer to all of your problems!

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Friday Pick Me Up: Cubicle Crazies

17 January 2014Mark Canavarroworkplace culturecubicle, workplace distractions No comment

Do you have the cubicle crazies? By that we mean the obsessive need to get OUT of the cubicle at regular intervals, for fear you’ll become a hermit and start keeping a pet rock as a friend?

Here are a couple of easy ways to combat the cubicle crazies and get that much needed break.

  1. Make your cubicle a place you LIKE to be. That will make it more welcoming and you won’t feel so trapped. Try to keep it down to essentials and only have stuff in your cubicle that you need.
  2. Make friends. If you are included in the weekly gossipfest by the water cooler and get invited to every party with cake, you won’t feel so isolated!
  3. Eat lunch anywhere but in your cubicle. It’s vital to get out at least for half an hour or so and breathe non-cubicle air!
  4. Don’t be shy. work on projects with a partner so you have an excuse to get out of your cube and pop in to theirs a few times a day.

Your cubicle shouldn’t doom you to a life of playing solitaire in between tasks. Make your cubicle a fun place, then schedule regular retreats to the outside world. You can beat the cubicle crazies!

 

 

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The Cubicle Workers Guide to Healthy Living

11 January 2014Mark Canavarroworkplace culturecubicle, workplace noise No comment

privacy panelsCubicle workers can have a hard time staying fit! After all, sitting for 8 hours isn’t exactly a work out, and when you add 4 cups of coffee and the odd fast food lunch, you should be concerned for your overall health!

Hitting the gym is impossible – no extra hours in the day between family, work and commute – so how can you burn calories and stay healthy even when stuck in a cubicle? We’ve found at least five ways.

  1. Number one is obvious. Don’t stay in the cubicle all day! It can be hard to break away from the computer and even breaks are often spent online. Forgo your Facebook check-in and take a lap around the office instead. Getting up and moving every hour or so – even if it’s just a quick trip to the copy machine and back –  is a great way to keep your metabolism engaged.
  2. Stand up. Even if you are in your cubicle, you don’t have to sit the whole time, Stand up when on calls, pace in a circle when reading a hard copy draft, anything to keep you moving. You can burn up to 225 calories an hour just by standing up and moving while at the office!
  3. Invest in a “desk-stepper”. If you have to sit and type for long periods of time, a desk stepper is ideal. It fits under your desk and allows you to work your legs while seated – up to a 90 calorie burn every 20 minutes! It’s also a good investment if you are prone to stiffness, leg problems, or have to worry about poor circulation or clotting.
  4. Get co-workers to work out with you – even if it’s showing up to work ten minutes early and taking a fast walk around the building before clocking in, or doing calisthenics at lunch. It’s amazing how having a partner can motivate you!
  5. Drink as much water as you can. Make a deal with yourself – before every cup of coffee or soda, you have to down a bottle of water. You’ll find your cravings melt away and you get used to drinking water!

What are your best ways to stay healthy in a cubicle environment?

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Friday Pick Me Up: Cubicle “Pets”

10 January 2014Mark Canavarroworkplace culturecubicle, workplace culture No comment

Do you have a cubicle pet? Of course, bringing Spot or Fluffy to work is probably not an option, but many workplaces don’t have a hard and fast policy against other types of pets.

Here are just a few ideas for you to add to your workplace to make it seem a little more homey and fun!

  1. A fish. A small fish tank is easy to maintain and many fish are hardy enough to survive with daily care and even across a weekend if needed without a lot of attention. A fish can bring some color and interest to your cubicle!
  2. A lizard. Likewise, a small terrarium is an easy to maintain and keep up with option. Just throw some extra crickets or mealworms in and make sure the water bowl is full before leaving on Friday!
  3. An air plant or cactus. Of course, you may have a green thumb and want something more challenging, but mossy air plants or small cacti are very easy to take care of and can be a cool way to decorate without a lot of commitment.

Dress up your cubicle with a “pet” and see how much more fun it is to go to work every day!

 

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“CubeSpeak” – It’s Talk from the Cubicle World!

4 January 2014Mark Canavarroworkplace culture No comment

African American businessman talking on mobile phone, smilingAre you familiar with CubeSpeak? It’s the lingo of the cubicle world – which is, in CubeSpeak, the “Cube Farm!” (See, you learned something already!)

If you don’t know CubeSpeak, you might be “404” – meaning you are clueless. The term comes from the web error message code “404” (File Not Found) which means that the document requested couldn’t be located.

Can you guess what “Adminisphere” means? If you think it’s the level above the rank and file, where suggestions go to disappear and decisions come down from that make no sense in the real world, you’d be right.

Are you the top dog in the IT department? Then you would be the “Alpha Geek” for certain. You can fix it even if it’s more complicated than “turning it on and off again!”

If you’ve ever left your phone on vibrate then had it go off unexpectedly, triggering a spastic fit complete with gape mouthed facial expressions, you’ve experienced “Beepilepsy”

If another company come up with a better spin on an idea you already had, you might have been “Betamaxed” (Android Betamaxed iPhone right out of the market!)

Does your boss hold meetings to determine who is at fault for a missed dealdine or dead project? He’s just “Blamestorming”.

If you realize the new guy down in accounting is as smart as he is good looking, you just might need to “Bookmark” him for future reference!

Does the boss want to fire people, but doesn’t have guts to do it himself? Beware the efficiency expert, also known as a “Chainsaw Consultant”

Your computer is your Chips and your programming is your Salsa, so when the IT guys says “First we gotta figure out if the problem’s in your chips or your salsa,” you know he’s trying to track it down!

Whatever you do, don’t diss your boss in company email. That would be considered a serious CLM (Career Limiting Move)!

Does your boss not appreciate everything you do, and takes pleasure in making your life miserable? Congratulations – you’ve just been “Dilberted”.

Admit it, sometimes you “Egosurf” (Google yourself and obsessively read each entry).

We’ll bring you some more CubeSpeak at a later date. But for now, at least you aren’t totally “404”!

 

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Friday Pick Me Up – Cubicle Extender Ideas

3 January 2014Mark Canavarrocubicle extenderscubicle exenders, panel extenders No comment

dream cubicleIt’s time for the Friday Pick Me Up post – this year, we are starting out 2014 with a series of cool ideas for panel extenders, to make your workplace not only more efficient but more fun!

If your office is allowing flexibility in cubicle height and width, you may have a little more space to play around with your walls! Maybe an office contest is in order, to see who can be the most creative. Here’s one idea:

Create an underwater mural on your cubicle extender wall, with fish swimming lazily between corals and anemones. This works even better if you can create a background that enhances the deep sea vibe. Hang a pair of flippers or a snorkel rakishly from one corner of the cubicle wall and insist anyone speaking to you address you as Captain and sir. Reply “Aye aye” to any superiors who wander by and mutter to yourself about keelhauling whoever switched the coffee for decaf. At the very least you’ll be a shoo in for any prizes handed out on talk like a pirate day!

A bit too much? Well, you could simply hang cat pictures on your cubicle extender wall and call it a day… Seriously, what do you do about your own cubicle decor when you have higher walls to cover?

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