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Furniture Working Conditions Nosiness

Whenever I meet with one particular employee in my office, he keeps looking down at papers on my desk that he should not be reading. I don't want to confront or embarrass him, but I would like this to stop. What do you suggest?



There are a few inventions that can help here, namely the file folder, manila envelope, and desk drawer. If there are papers on your desk that your employees should not be reading, they should be put away when you meet with any members of your staff.

Independent of the notion of employees trying to read whatever is on your desk, it is also a good idea to meet with employees in front of your desk if you have room for a couple of chairs. By doing so, you remove an important physical barrier and actually set the stage for more open communications.

It is also important to consider the possibility that the employee in question is not trying to read what is on your desk at all. Some employees do not like a great deal of eye contact, often due to cultural factors, so they tend to look down. Other employees look down as a form of deference or even fear. It might be helpful to see if you can think of any problems on the job that may be causing this employee to keep looking down. Perhaps there is more to this situation than meets the eye.





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Posted by Website visitor on 2007-06-12 05:58:31
The same issue applies with computer monitor screens. It's really distracting when someone visits your desk and keeps looking at your monitor. I'm sure on some level the person can't help it. Our eyes are designed to seek and look. But some people are just plain nosy.