How do you approach someone's cubicle?

[Ryan]

When I walk up to someone's cubicle, I usually will knock on the cabinet as I'm rounding the corner just to give them a heads up.   I've noticed that there are a couple people that, if they seem me typing, they will walk up and just stand there behind me without announcing their presence.  Sometimes I will see them out of my side vision and just continue to work, waiting to see when they will say something.  I always buckle because it feels a little strange. 

Interestingly, if these people want to talk to me and I'm in a conversation with someone else, they'll stand right next to us and just wait without saying anything.  Whereas most people will interrupt if it's something important or walk away if it's not important.  

I finally just said something about both issues to someone, which felt kind of school social worker-ish.  When she walked up behind me and stood, I told her that she should knock and announce her presence.  I was talking to a co-worker and she walked right up to my desk and waited, I asked her if it was an emergency, she said no and walked away.  

[Tiny]

When I want to talk to the person in the cubicle -  I always start with a discrete 'knock' or a "hello!".     We all wear headphones and so sometimes you have to wave an arm or make some sort of motion to be seen.       If the cubical occupant is talking to someone and it's not an emergency (for me to have to talk to them) - I'll just leave and come back (or hover out in the "hallway" in a discrete area - so as not to bother the other office/cube workers.)   If it's an emergency - I tend to walk right up and politely interrupt.   

Our cubes are arranged so there's an aisle between a block of cubes.   we all generally ignore people in the aisle (as they may be going to the printer that's right there or getting paper or getting a snack from the candy dish or just looking out the window.).   You have to get within the boundaries of a person's cube to engage them generally.  

That said, there was a guy working in my "quad" who needed to talk to my co-worker directly across from me - often.   The guy was REALLY ANNOYING.   He would wander into my cube space, touch/handle the personal stuff in my cube,   and/or sit on my cube counter while waiting for my coworker across the way (who was on the phone or who was typing) to acknowledge him.   He wasn't looking to talk to me - just someplace to hang out.      The guy also had poor self control.  He ate ALL the peppermints from the candy jar in one day.   I had put an entire bag of starlight mints in the jar that morning.   He couldn't NOT eat them.  All day he was hovering around the jar and stepping into my cube space.   We tried limiting how much hard candy was in the jar - but the guy ate them all every day.   We stopped putting out hard candy (until the guy left).    FWIW:  a bag of starlight mints (or butterscotch or mixed hard candies)  would usually last about 3 months.     At one point, any time he entered my cube space to just "hang out", I'd stop what I was doing and ask him if he 'needed' anything?   He never got the clue.   I was relieved when the guy got let go. 

[wvugurl26]

The cubicle walls here are mostly cloth so not much to knock on. The ones who do, it ends up being so loud I jump out of my chair. I do always announce my presence. Just standing there is creepy.

[chiver78]

approaching a cubicle, I always knock on my way in. walking up to someone mid-conversation, I'm more like your coworker. if the discussion I am approaching is work related, I'll wait a bit. if it's not work related, I'll excuse myself before interrupting. 

not sure if it matters, but my office is a bit different. we don't actually have cubicles here, it's a completely open office. almost all of us have headphones on, all the time, for white noise. I face the direction anyone would be approaching me from, so I see them as they walk up to me. 

[Pants]

I like to get in someone's line of vision and immediately throw JAZZ HANDS. 

I find it gets a pretty good level of attention. 

[grumpyhermit]

I approach a cubicle just like I approach an office door. I always stop at the entry and knock on the wall somewhere. If I see they are on the phone I leave and come back when they are free. I can't stand people that hover and wait.

I'm lucky enough to have an office. I know working in a cube would drive me nuts, so I try to be as respectful of their workspace as possible. I would never just walk into someone's office and stand behind them, so why would I do that to someone in a cubicle?

[Tiny]

Aug 7, 2019 9:54:53 GMT -5 Ryan said:

When I walk up to someone's cubicle, I usually will knock on the cabinet as I'm rounding the corner just to give them a heads up.   I've noticed that there are a couple people that, if they seem me typing, they will walk up and just stand there behind me without announcing their presence.  Sometimes I will see them out of my side vision and just continue to work, waiting to see when they will say something.  I always buckle because it feels a little strange. 

Interestingly, if these people want to talk to me and I'm in a conversation with someone else, they'll stand right next to us and just wait without saying anything.  Whereas most people will interrupt if it's something important or walk away if it's not important.  

I finally just said something about both issues to someone, which felt kind of school social worker-ish.  When she walked up behind me and stood, I told her that she should knock and announce her presence.  I was talking to a co-worker and she walked right up to my desk and waited, I asked her if it was an emergency, she said no and walked away.  

Here's a thought, as I've been your co-worker. It might be some 'social conditioning'... you know where you don't interrupt your superior/boss/person in authority until they give you the OK. Would you just stroll in to your big bosses office while he was typing away or looking at papers?
What if he was on the phone or talking to someone else in his office? Sometimes, For women - everyone falls into the category of people you don't interrupt no matter what 'level' they are. It's a Jane Austin kinda world for a lot of women.

[andi9899]

I knock on the cubicle or say "knock knock" or "hello". If I walk up and you are talking to someone else I won't even stop if it's something not needed right now. If it is and only you can help me, I'll stop and ask if you can see me when you can. Usually people will either say ok, or tell you that they were talking about something other than work and they can talk to you now. Just standing there waiting to be noticed is creepy.

[Ryan]

Aug 7, 2019 10:27:20 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Aug 7, 2019 9:54:53 GMT -5 Ryan said:

When I walk up to someone's cubicle, I usually will knock on the cabinet as I'm rounding the corner just to give them a heads up.   I've noticed that there are a couple people that, if they seem me typing, they will walk up and just stand there behind me without announcing their presence.  Sometimes I will see them out of my side vision and just continue to work, waiting to see when they will say something.  I always buckle because it feels a little strange. 

Interestingly, if these people want to talk to me and I'm in a conversation with someone else, they'll stand right next to us and just wait without saying anything.  Whereas most people will interrupt if it's something important or walk away if it's not important.  

I finally just said something about both issues to someone, which felt kind of school social worker-ish.  When she walked up behind me and stood, I told her that she should knock and announce her presence.  I was talking to a co-worker and she walked right up to my desk and waited, I asked her if it was an emergency, she said no and walked away.  

Here's a thought, as I've been your co-worker. It might be some 'social conditioning'... you know where you don't interrupt your superior/boss/person in authority until they give you the OK. Would you just stroll in to your big bosses office while he was typing away or looking at papers?
What if he was on the phone or talking to someone else in his office? Sometimes, For women - everyone falls into the category of people you don't interrupt no matter what 'level' they are. It's a Jane Austin kinda world for a lot of women.

I just walk up to my bosses cube and do the same thing. If I really think he's busy with something, I won't even approach, I'll just try back later.  To me I'd rather have someone walk up and say "Is this a good time?" vs. just standing there not saying anything.  It's awkward to have someone stand there without saying anything.  

[Pants]

Aug 7, 2019 12:32:16 GMT -5 Ryan said:

Aug 7, 2019 10:27:20 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Here's a thought, as I've been your co-worker. It might be some 'social conditioning'... you know where you don't interrupt your superior/boss/person in authority until they give you the OK. Would you just stroll in to your big bosses office while he was typing away or looking at papers?
What if he was on the phone or talking to someone else in his office? Sometimes, For women - everyone falls into the category of people you don't interrupt no matter what 'level' they are. It's a Jane Austin kinda world for a lot of women.

I just walk up to my bosses cube and do the same thing. If I really think he's busy with something, I won't even approach, I'll just try back later.  To me I'd rather have someone walk up and say "Is this a good time?" vs. just standing there not saying anything.  It's awkward to have someone stand there without saying anything.  

Q: Is it only women doing this? 

[tractor]

I always walk up and stand there until I get their attention. Creepy or not, I don’t want to interrupt them if they are in the middle of something, besides, it’s always fun to see their reaction.

I should add that most of the time they see me coming so it’s not a big deal. If someone comes and stands at my door, I let them stand there in silence until they get bored and say something.

[toomuchreality]

I walk up, be sure I caught their eye so they are aware I'm waiting, then I step back, if it's not super important - emergency.
If it's work related and the person I need to talk to is clearly just chatting (personal) to a co-worker, I might say "excuse me, blah, blah, blah."  

I haven't worked in years, but this is also what I do when I go down to speak to the mgr of my apts, unless the door is closed.

I don't hover, or lurk, and I don't care for it when people do.