Tired of working? Take a break!

Cube potato, definition: An employee who sits in their cube, does their work, and speaks to no one – every day. Instead of a couch, they have a chair. Instead of a TV, they have a monitor. And in place of their remote, is their mouse. Are you a cube potato? Try these five steps to get out of the chair and in to the office social scene.

Step 1: Leave your cube. Instead of emailing the graphics department asking when your slides will be ready for the big presentation, take a walk down the hall and try a face to face inquiry instead.

Step 2: Join work activities. If your company holds charity drives, fund raiser events, or employee personal growth trainings such as, “how to knit yourself a sweater,” give them a try. Raising money for charity can be a fulfilling way to meet new people and connect on a personal level to those you work with day in and day out. And we both know you don’t care about knitting a sweater - or wearing it for that matter because it’ll probably turn out two sizes too small for you anyway - but you might pick up a new friend along the way. Who knows, if you’re new friend turns out to be the head of the graphics department, you might get those slides a little quicker next time Some companies, or employees on their own, organize yearly picnics or weekly or monthly happy hours. These events are a great way to be social as they take the work mindset away and give each person the chance to get to know their coworkers outside the work atmosphere.

Step 3: Have fun! Some days the entire office seems to drag with fatigue or just plain burn out. Try sending coworkers in your department a joke or funny article you found on the internet. See something funny on Letterman last night? Share it with the crowd!

Step 4: Be social: Visit your cube neighbors to say hi. Ask how their weekend was on Monday morning or drop by Friday afternoon to see what plans they have for the upcoming weekend. Talk to them about trips you may be taking or a new restaurant or store you visited one night during the week. Ask your neighbor or fellow coworker if they’d like to go out for lunch. Leaving the office can give you a break and some social stimulation all at the same time. If your office has a cafeteria that people frequently visit, see what food is there or bring a brown bag lunch one day and share a table with someone. Even walking to the cafeteria or vending machine for a quick cookie trip can surely spark some conversation with whoever you run into along the way.

Step 5: Send information to others about helpful tips or interesting information. If you’ve just learned how to archive your meeting calendar through outlook to decrease your mailbox space, send the tip to others as well. People will appreciate the advice, and the next time someone needs help, you may find a new visitor in your cube. Have you seen any articles about your company on the internet lately? How about articles relating to your field of business? Send them along to spark conversation. Send some comments along as well on what other companies are doing that your company could incorporate easily, or mention how well your company is doing in relation to the competition.

Social involvement can have its rewards. When your manager is looking for someone to lead the next brainstorming session, he or she will not be looking for someone who shy’s away in their cube, but for someone who is outgoing. With your new networking skills, this could be you. You may also experience ladder climbing. The daily “Hi, how was your weekend,” can lead to, “So what do you think about our production numbers for this month?” The back and forth exchange of ideas may lead to your coworkers mentioning your great ideas to your manager. And good feedback to your manager can lead to recognition, more responsibility, promotions, and higher raises. Not bad for a little effort, huh?

Employees stay at their place of employment for many reasons, one of which is their social environment. The more fun you have at work, and the more tied you are to the employees that work with you, the better your odds are of being happy at your job. Ever hear someone say, “If it wasn’t for the people I work with I would have left a long time ago?” Exactly.

Make friends. Have fun. Get your managers attention. Get out of your chair, out of your cube, and peel your potato skin!

Stumble it!