Pick Up the Phone!

We all do it.  Take a call on speaker phone because we don't have a headset, or need to multi-task.  When we live in cubicle land for a full third of our lives, it is not a full experience to hear everyones conversations.

It gets even worse when people put their own families on speaker phone, letting the whole world know their business.  Frankly, the world doesn't want to know.  I don't want to know about Aunt Martha's hemorrhoid surgery or Daddy's colitis or Sally-Jo's dating travails.  Everyone has enough drama in their lives, why do we want yours?

So, here are a few simple rules by which to keep your cubicle mates from finding creative ways of disrupting your calls:

1. Pick up the handset of the telephone!  It won't kill you and you might even have some privacy.
2. Ask IT for a headset if your neck hurts from bracing the handset between your ear and your shoulder.
3. Reserve a conference room if the call will be long or have an engaged discussion.

If your cubicle mates won't take the hints or outright requests to pick up the phone, here are a few things that might encourage them to change their ways:

1. Interrupt and participate in their conversation.  After all, if it's on speaker phone it's public consumption.
2. Have a coughing attack every time they are on the phone. The more disgusting the better. Who wants to be talking to someone who works in a germ factory.
3. Record the conversation at your desk and play if for their manager.  After all, managers really do not want their employees discussing company or personal business in a way that will disrupt everyone else's ability to do there job.

Honestly, if you don't want your personal life or your work life talked about, PICK UP THE PHONE!