Noisy Coworkers: 5 Ways To Deal With It
We all come across some noisy coworkers during our working careers. We have to deal with them some times by telling them politely to stop but it is not necessarily successful. At other times we can try to be creative and take the help of others in this. Just by doing a these simple things we can deal with these noisy coworkers.
Wear Headphones - Sound canceling headphones are good for this - but they're also usually rather costly. There are some far less costly and low-tech choices out there, however. Over-ear, meaning big ones which cover the ears, or in-ear buds generally block out many interruptions, and the right music could be just the thing to lower one's stress levels or to help one to focus. Music with lyrics can be very distracting, however, so this idea might not be ideal for you.
Purchase a white noise machine. You will find a wide variety of white noise products to assist you in attaining speech privacy in your open office. They run the gamut from quite inexpensive CD's which loop a white noise track, to premium multi-channel machines which can treat the whole office or even an entire building. The optimal solution for you is dependent upon how big an area you wish to treat. Locate a quiet area for yourself. The majority of offices will have conference rooms which aren't in use, and which make a nice place for you, when you have to remove yourself from distracting office noises and concentrate on your work.
It is better to discuss your concerns with your seniors and still better if you can offer constructive suggestions. A proper noise management policy may go a long way in helping you and others. Remember to keep to the agenda and not use the meeting to vent your other grievances, or it may lead to you loosing credibility. Remember, your aim is the betterment of the working environment and making the team more productive. Complaining in such meetings is not advisable.
Tell your disruptive colleague how you feel. It's not particularly easy to do that, so it pays to think about how you are going to put it. First tell your colleague you want to talk privately and then be completely straightforward when you get together. You want to be blunt, but not tactless or hurtful. Remember, you will have to keep on working together afterwards. Most of all, don't embarrass this person in front of other fellow employees. That is simply offensive and disrespectful to noisy coworkers and doesn't usually result in a positive outcome.
There is no need to grind your teeth. Discussing potential speech privacy issues as soon as they arise might reduce stressful situations. After all, your office space and surrounding area, not just your office equipment, have to be taken into consideration.
Noisy coworkers can be a part of everyone's working life. In some instances a kind request to keep the noise down will do the trick; in others, this route won't do any good. Oftentimes assistance from others can be very helpful. A personal white noise machine can help you obtain speech privacy in an open office. Above all, don't just sit there and grit your teeth. There's more to the "tools of the trade" than just a computer and a telephone. Your environment and workspace are part of the equation. Addressing open office distractions with such things as sound masking can prevent a lot of stress.
Published December 1st, 2008
Filed in Career
