Surviving in an Open Office…?
12 March 2012
Read by 1637 persons
When office partitions came down, it was thought that the barriers between employees would also fall, improving communication… Illusion! In reality, the opposite happened: to avoid disturbing neighbors, interactions are now minimized, limited to the extreme.
In fact, between ringing landlines, cell phones, people moving in the narrow corridors, and conversations here and there, the open office is synonymous with disruptions, various types of fatigue, and, obviously, a decrease in productivity…
Here are some tips for coexisting in the open-plan office.
1. Speak softly on the phone
Noise is a plague, a nuisance, and is now recognized as such. Concentration isn’t the only thing affected by this problem… So, practice communicating in a low tone. While it may sometimes feel like you’re not being heard or understood, that’s a false impression, as communication specialists suggest lowering your voice instead of raising it to be heard! That said, if you naturally tend to speak loudly, don’t hesitate to isolate yourself in a private room.
2. Respect the concentration of those around you
In an open space, respecting the concentration of your colleagues is a normal, even essential requirement.
If you’re moving around, you can take advantage of this moment to exchange a few words with a colleague, but remember that just because you have a few minutes free, doesn’t mean they do… Being interrupted while working is extremely irritating and leads to mistakes and fatigue.
3. Shift your hours?
Maybe you can shift your hours: why not arrive earlier in the morning or stay a little later in the evening…? Nobody in the office? Increased concentration, greater efficiency. When it comes to writing tedious summaries, preparing long meetings, or validating difficult-to-read documents, it’s sometimes more pleasant to tackle these tasks in your solitary office, away from the noise… During the day, also dare to isolate yourself in a quiet room to work without being disturbed. Of course, this should remain occasional, otherwise you’ll gradually cut yourself off from the group.
4. Protect confidential data
To guarantee the confidentiality of certain information, don’t hesitate to isolate yourself again in a separate room. A phone recruitment, discussing a price with a client requires a lot of time, calm, and concentration. The solution is to immediately tell your interlocutor that you are not able to speak right away but will call them back in a few minutes to allow yourself time to isolate yourself. Identify free rooms beforehand.
5. Don’t be afraid of the judgment of others
If someone were to comment on your arrival or departure times, cut the conversation short firmly but without aggression. Above all, don’t let an atmosphere develop where everyone spies on each other. This would quickly become a general malaise, and before it comes to such extremes, it’s better to limit the costs and damage. Speak openly and simply rather than getting caught up in this infernal machine where you’ll try to catch the colleague who made those unfortunate remarks.
6. Redesign the space
Don’t hesitate to change your decor, review the decoration, appropriate the space, tame it, to feel good there. Flourishing also involves this kind of tangible and calming markers: photos of your children, of that special day you got married, the ideal image of the dog napping on the thick wool rug…. Designing your space means possessing it and increasing your well-being, and therefore your productivity.
Article written by The ReKrute.com team
Posted on March 12, 2012.
In fact, between ringing landlines, cell phones, people moving in the narrow corridors, and conversations here and there, the open office is synonymous with disruptions, various types of fatigue, and, obviously, a decrease in productivity…
Here are some tips for coexisting in the open-plan office.
1. Speak softly on the phone
Noise is a plague, a nuisance, and is now recognized as such. Concentration isn’t the only thing affected by this problem… So, practice communicating in a low tone. While it may sometimes feel like you’re not being heard or understood, that’s a false impression, as communication specialists suggest lowering your voice instead of raising it to be heard! That said, if you naturally tend to speak loudly, don’t hesitate to isolate yourself in a private room.
2. Respect the concentration of those around you
In an open space, respecting the concentration of your colleagues is a normal, even essential requirement.
If you’re moving around, you can take advantage of this moment to exchange a few words with a colleague, but remember that just because you have a few minutes free, doesn’t mean they do… Being interrupted while working is extremely irritating and leads to mistakes and fatigue.
3. Shift your hours?
Maybe you can shift your hours: why not arrive earlier in the morning or stay a little later in the evening…? Nobody in the office? Increased concentration, greater efficiency. When it comes to writing tedious summaries, preparing long meetings, or validating difficult-to-read documents, it’s sometimes more pleasant to tackle these tasks in your solitary office, away from the noise… During the day, also dare to isolate yourself in a quiet room to work without being disturbed. Of course, this should remain occasional, otherwise you’ll gradually cut yourself off from the group.
4. Protect confidential data
To guarantee the confidentiality of certain information, don’t hesitate to isolate yourself again in a separate room. A phone recruitment, discussing a price with a client requires a lot of time, calm, and concentration. The solution is to immediately tell your interlocutor that you are not able to speak right away but will call them back in a few minutes to allow yourself time to isolate yourself. Identify free rooms beforehand.
5. Don’t be afraid of the judgment of others
If someone were to comment on your arrival or departure times, cut the conversation short firmly but without aggression. Above all, don’t let an atmosphere develop where everyone spies on each other. This would quickly become a general malaise, and before it comes to such extremes, it’s better to limit the costs and damage. Speak openly and simply rather than getting caught up in this infernal machine where you’ll try to catch the colleague who made those unfortunate remarks.
6. Redesign the space
Don’t hesitate to change your decor, review the decoration, appropriate the space, tame it, to feel good there. Flourishing also involves this kind of tangible and calming markers: photos of your children, of that special day you got married, the ideal image of the dog napping on the thick wool rug…. Designing your space means possessing it and increasing your well-being, and therefore your productivity.
Article written by The ReKrute.com team
Posted on March 12, 2012.
