Article: Steve Edwards from Ideas
Image: Getty Images

If you don't want to have an imaginary door, or two, slammed in your face, make sure that you follow these golden rules for surviving and thriving in an open-plan office environment:

Pause, then enter
Always wait at the edge of a colleague's work space, a discreet distance away, before entering it – as if there's an invisible doorway for you to pass through.

If your colleague is too engrossed in what she's doing to notice you, depending on the urgency of your visit, go away and try again later. Or you could draw attention to yourself by clearing your throat or knocking on a nearby piece of furniture.

Never creep up from behind
Don't approach colleagues from behind without warning. This way you won't scare them to death and they won't feel that you're trying to sneak up on them to see what they're up to. If you do need to approach someone, make sure you get their attention or are in sight.

Screen yourself
If a colleague has a private work area, such as a screened cubicle, treat that space as an office with a closed door. Announce yourself at the entrance and do not enter until you are invited in.

Don't peek
Never read over someone's shoulder unless you have been invited to do so. It's just plain bad manners. Even if you can see your colleagues' computer screens and what they are working on is in plain view, don't lean over for a closer look. Remember, an open-plan office is simply an accident of office geography, not a standing invitation to peep or eavesdrop.

Keep it down
Never raise your voice. This is not only to keep noise levels down but to enhance the sense of privacy and discretion. Also, if you have a loud, piercing voice, be aware that you could be breaking sound and irritation barriers – and keep it down.

Be phone polite
When speaking on the phone, hold the mouthpiece close to your mouth and lower your voice. Be considerate. Chances are no-one around you wants to hear you arguing with your husband about who must take the dog to the vet.

Don't talk and walk
Try to avoid talking to colleagues while walking through an open-plan area, because this not only contributes to the general noise level but generally distracts everybody you pass. In a sense, people quickly become invisible in an open-plan environment. They do not, however, become deaf and blind.

Tread lightly
Move through an open-plan area with care. The open spaces are not an invitation to run, knock documents, mugs and personal ornaments off desks when passing, or tussle with a colleague.

Face the music alone
Don't play music without headphones clamped firmly to your ears. No matter how universal your taste in music may be, it will probably distract and irritate your co-workers.

Alternatively, if all colleagues in hearing distance agree on having the radio on, make sure that the volume is kept down and be aware of important telephone conversations or meetings when the radio may need to be switched off.

Keep it clean
Keep your work space tidy at all times. A clean-desk policy is crucial to the success of an open-plan office. A tidy work area not only conveys a professional image but generally promotes an atmosphere of order and efficiency.

Avoid feeding frenzies
If you must eat at your work station, avoid pungent foods such as potato chips soaked in vinegar or food cooked in garlic. Smells are a little slower to travel than sound, but ultimately they get around just as efficiently and they linger a little longer.

Don't trash your space
After eating at your work station make sure that you get rid of all the rubbish and leftovers – not in your wastepaper basket, but in a dustbin away from the work area. Office bins can be neglected, and mouldy bread and festering sauces can make things rather unpleasant around the office.

Keep your germs to yourself
If you really must come to work when you are sick, take extra care not to share your ailments with others. A sneeze is said to travel at something like 3 000km per hour and even if your colleagues are fortunate enough not to be caught in the spray, your germs can cross the room in less than a second.

Stop growling
Never get territorial about 'your space'. The whole point of the open-plan approach is flexibility and the ability to change the office layout at a moment's notice. You will also save yourself a good deal of stress and resentment when your colleagues forget the rules about treating our space with respect – which they surely will!

Come back later
If your colleague is on the telephone or deep in conversation with someone in the office, do not hover around waiting, unless the information you need to relay to them is life-saving. Come back later.

Do you have "space" issues at work? How do you make the most of your open-plan office? Share your tips with other readers in the comment box below...