Does decorating your cubicle make you a better employee?

So your first day on the job and you’re shown to your new cube. You’re thrilled. The blank walls are sparse and bare, and the only thing of interest is your computer and chair. So you sit down and spend your entire day as the new “person”, anxiously looking to your left and right as people walk by.

So how soon do you bring the 4×6 frames and mementos of your life? And what if you never do? What does that say about you?

I often wonder if there is any correlation between “cubicle artifacts” and employee performance. Could I walk into a random workplace during lunch time, look at the cublicles void of their peoples and make an accurate assessment for each person?

As interesting as this may be as a science experiment, what if managers and supervisor do this subliminally all the time? For example, does a manager think more highly of an employee with a vast collection of books in their cubes, versus the guy with none? Does a cube decorated with family photos make an employee seem more approachable and well-liked?

I’ve never been one to decorate my workplace. 3 months into my new job and the only things in my cube are office supplies, post-it notes and a lonely plant in a bright red pot. I wonder what that says about me?