Monthly Archives : October 2015

One of the most common things that people say when asked about their work at the office is, “I love my job, but I hate my noisy coworkers.” Whether in one’s own personal cubicle space, or in an open space office environment, rowdy project teams will get out of hand, or that click of employees that chatter more than they work, will start to encroach upon the sanctity of your workspace; sometimes even when they are across the room. Nobody likes a tattletale, nor the ongoing animosity or negative consequences that out-of-hand confrontations can cause in the workplace. It is better to take a subtler and more thought-out approach to handling the problem, by trying the 5 useful tips listed below.

1. Noisy Coworker Canceling Headphones

One of the most popular remedies for rude, noisy coworkers, who don’t seem to understand that other people are trying to work at the office, is noise canceling headphones. The headphones will also act as a visual deterrent to interrupting you at your desk. That “Chatty-Kathy,” who always b-lines to your desk just to shoot the breeze, will now have to have something important to say to you, especially if they want you to stop and take your headphones off.

Headphones have an air of focused concentration to them when one is tuned out to the office noise, and intently tuned into their work. For those who like to work to music, calm, soothing tunes are always a sure fire way to block out loud and inconsiderate blockheads. Big headphones have a psychological factor of letting people know you are busy. This is why small ear buds are not as effective. People are more likely to expect you to still be able to hear them through earbuds, defeating the purpose.

2. Avoid Public Confrontation

Go up to the coworker when they are alone, and politely ask them to please tone down the excessive noise. If you confront them in front of other coworkers, you risk causing an ongoing feud over the situation. Public confrontation will encourage other workers to weigh in on one side or another, causing a rift in the workplace. On the other hand, if your noise concerns fall on deaf ears, search out other working colleagues with like-minded concerns about the negative effect that the unnecessary noise has on office productivity, and then confront the offending employee as a group; as somewhat of a workplace intervention. This should be used only as a last resort though.

3. Find Quiet Refuge

Whether working in an old-school cubicle set-up, or a contemporary open office space, there is usually an open conference room, or in most open space workplaces, a designated quiet room. If your supervisor or another coworker asks you why you are working there rather than your desk, then you can simply be honest. Since they opened up the proverbial door, you can then tell them about your problem with the noise factor in the office without looking like the office snitch. This way there is no reason to have to awkwardly point fingers or name names. This solution may be inconvenient at times, working away from your desk, but it could be a productive godsend as well if put in the right perspective.

4. Be Discreet when Telling a Manager

There is a less confrontational way to tell a manager about a complaint concerning other coworkers. You can discreetly tell your superior about your noise concerns, without having to throw a coworker under the bus. Remind the manager how non-productive excessive noise can make not just you, but the whole office unproductive. This will up the issue and force the manager to actually do something, especially when low employee production will also negatively affect their standing with their superiors. Suggest that the manager sends an open letter to the whole office addressing the problem of excessive noise in the workplace. This will make your problem solving skills look good in your bosses’ eyes, and hopefully open up the eyes of the main offenders who can’t seem to tone-it-down.

5. Last Resort Relocation

People have different noise thresholds in the office, some people need the hustle and bustle of the office with a noisy talkative background in order to work properly. Others are just the opposite. They need a quiet, serene atmosphere in order to concentrate on their work. Most offices have areas that are quieter than others, and a move to that section, if it is feasible and permissible by management, might be the only option left. Once again, this is a situation where being totally honest will work to your advantage. You can state the other lengths you have gone through in order to try and fix the problem. Most employers will be understanding in this situation, and at least know that you are trying to be a team player about the noise problem.

Your workplace productivity is what pays the bills, gets you noticed by management, and gets you promoted. This is why it is important to take excessive noise at the office seriously, especially when it distracts you from doing your job properly. Workplace loudmouths will always be an irritating factor that everybody will have to deal with at some point or another at the office. Following the tips above will give you the advantage you need in order to shut down those rowdy office clicks, and muffle those irritatingly distracting coworkers that just won’t cop-a-clue and shut the heck up!

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1. Shut Down Distractions.

According to USA Today, nearly 50 percent of American employees say that they work for only 15 minutes before becoming distracted, and that 20 something year-olds are the most likely to be distracted at the workplace. This can be directly linked to the modern age of e-mail dependency, social media hysteria, and both generations Y and Z’s refusals to put down their smartphones. All these personal digital age workplace distractions will only stop interrupting us if we take drastic measures – We need to knuckle down and go cold turkey by turning digital distractions off at work.

Some might say, “But what if something terrible happens at home and I miss it?” No boss is going to fire someone for getting a landline call at work for a “real” emergency. Work offline if the internet is not required. Remove that temptation to check out what your friends are posting on Facebook, or take a quick peak at that mountain of email that is mostly just spam anyway. Turn off that cell phone, and rejoice in no longer having to answer those outside calls that truly could have waited. Workplace distractions are nearly always man made. They can also be easily made to go away with just the push of a button, unlike that distracting coworker that never leaves you alone.

2. Keep it Clean.

Clean it up! Keep it clean, and one will find a whole new world that has been swept clear of numerous built up distractions. The only thing one usually needs to work efficiently at their desk, is their PC or laptop, a working file, and a safely enclosed drink in order to have a productive work zone. Take time to organize, categorize, and label proper destination spots for all of those daily papers that add up. IE: Reminders, contact information, files, etc., and keep them off the top of your desk and where they belong. This will ensure that the time consuming distraction and aggravation of clutter will be permanently removed from your daily working routine.

Everyone should take some time out for the important pertinent little details at their workspace; this will help ensure it stays smooth flowing and productive. Just like if someone was trying to find something in a cluttered, dirty house, a cluttered, dirty desk is just as difficult to try and accomplish something with. All those seemingly helpful notes everywhere – That snack packet from yesterday that is taking up valuable real-estate on the desk – Those multiple photos of people’s families, their vacations, their dogs; all add up to potential distractions that make people lose focus at work.

3. Micro – break.

Studies have shown that micro-breaks help calm anxiety, and that they enhance one’s problem solving skills. Micro-breaks are little 1 to 3 minute breaks that are taken at least every hour. Micro-breaks are much more effective than taking a few long breaks every several hours. Using one’s brain all day without letting it rest properly allows the brain to grow weary, causing a person to lose focus. This continues to worsen until the brain gets the rest it needs. The longer that rest is prolonged, the longer time it will need to recover.

That old nose-to-the-grindstone mentality of the work gets done first, and then we take a break, has actually been proven to hinder one’s abilities to work properly, rather than increase productivity in the workplace. Break up the monotony of office work; take little mini-breaks after or during a productive work session. They allow the brain to rest, regroup, and start fresh again. This allows one to be focused and on-track with the task at hand when they come back. The practice of taking mini-breaks helps to combat brain fatigue, which is like hitting a mental brick wall when trying to concentrate on a long or complicated project.

Of course, there are many other different variations of distractions around the office. They are bound to pop up eventually. Turn off the e-mails, remove the temptation of social media or game sites on the internet, halt personal calls, tone up the work-desk with a quick cleaning, so that it’s actually conducive to work, and take a few minutes of time out in order to give the brain that short break it needs to function properly. These simple tips will all add up to a less distracting, enjoyable, and noticeably more productive working environment.

Alternatively, you can add inexpensive office panels to your existing furniture to increase workplace privacy. Click here to read more.