Disturbances in the Office

Open offices can cut down on costs by utilizing space efficiently and eliminating the need to build individual offices. But, if an open office setting is not arranged optimally, and managed with reasonable ground rules, it can result in disturbances so upsetting and detrimental to production that they undermine the benefits.

Among the most common disturbances resulting from an open office space are phone calls made and received by coworkers in neighboring cubicles. The fact is, when an employee performs the majority of their work and life-related tasks in their work cube, disturbances to others inevitably arise. You know what it's like when one of your coworkers holds an impromptu meeting with several people gathered around their desk, exchanging chatter. The meeting doesn't concern you, yet you were forced to overhear the conversation and vainly try to block it out so you could concentrate on your work. Chances are that nearby coworker you're constantly overhearing doesn't appreciate their lack of privacy either.

It's also important to consider that it isn't just employees who create imposing disturbances in an open office space. Because open environments feature considerably less barriers than more traditional office spaces, employees are subjected to the noise of air conditioners humming, cell phones ringing, communal printers churning out 100-page documents, hard drives whirring, and much more.

A New Way

Thankfully, there are viable solutions to these problems. Creating a few guidelines for an open office space will provide helpful ways to reduce noisy disturbances. For example, you may want to use some of the following rules:

• Don't stop by your coworker's cubicle unannounced. Call ahead so you know if they can afford an interruption. Even if you can see your coworker sitting at their desk.
• If you want to conduct a meeting or a lengthy conversation that doesn't involve all the people in the immediate vicinity, take the meeting into an enclosed space that offers some sound insulation.
• Never take anything off of a coworker's desk without first asking permission. It's extremely unnerving to leave your desk only to return and realize that something is missing from your desk. Check with your coworker before "borrowing" something to avoid creating invaded privacy issues.

There are structural and design-related changes you can make to your office space — by incorporating both new and existing furniture and equipment — that'll help keep the noise pollution to a minimum. Achieving the ideal office design for your specific needs will not only enhance the benefits of your open office, but also will significantly cut down on the noisy drawbacks.

Highly effective sound reduction strategies for dealing with noisy neighbors include acoustic panels that block out sound. Sound absorbent ceiling panels help further facilitate this effect, by soaking up noise that would normally reverberate through the office.

Adjusting the height of cubicle panels can also reduce the flow of noise, in addition to the added benefit of allowing for adaptable privacy levels. For those pesky sounds produced by air conditioners, printers, and the like, sound masking systems are the way to go. Sound masking systems emit a steady, low-level tone that absorbs and neutralizes the collection of erratic noises that can make concentrating a challenge.

These are just a few strategies that'll keep your open office collaborative and productive, while maintaining more than manageable noise and privacy levels. For additional information, visit us online at www.CEBInteriors.com. If this newsletter was forwarded to you and you'd like to sign up to receive it, simply click on the "Subscribe" button at the bottom of this page.

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