Recent Articles of Interest

Imagine that you must prepare an important report concerning your company's sales over the last three months and on the preferences of your customers as determined by your company's sales force. On the day that you must prepare that report, you will make sure to be well rested and to be in the office early. You certainly do not want to have to deal with irrelevant and uninteresting distractions while you're preparing that report, such as a colleague who yammers endlessly about the odd date that she was on last weekend.

Work-related noise pollution can result from multiple causes but no matter where it originates, noise lessens your ability to work effectively. Also, noise pollution makes you stressed and can result in depression and other problems.

That said, most working people face some form of office noise at some point in our careers. It is therefore important to be prepared so that we can better deal with such situations. Let's face it, if you have colleagues who idle their time away discussing everything under the sun, you'd better draw the line in your interactions with them. Be forthright yet polite in telling them that you get disturbed by their chatter. Chances are they'll apologize and limit their conversations in order to avoid getting on your nerves.

If you are experiencing disruptive noise due to a printer or facsimile machine located near your desk, you might politely request that your information technology colleagues look into the origin of the sound. It is probably the result of a malfunction, since the majority of office equipment firms manufacture noise-free machines at great expense to themselves. If the offending devices are properly and regularly serviced, that will usually eliminate the sound entirely or at very least lower the noise level.

Even though most of us can't imagine getting through the day at the office without the occasional cup of coffee at hand, if the office noise that keeps you from concentrating on your job stems from that indispensable coffee dispenser, you're going to have to bring it to the attention of the administrative staff.

It is difficult to work in a noisy office, no matter how the noise originates. Yet there are numerous inexpensive noise reduction systems available for the majority of offices. Panels that absorb sound and extra-tall cubicle walls are useful in reducing both human and mechanical noise. Meeting areas and dining facilities are found in the corners, apart from work stations. Also high in effectiveness are soothing, unobtrusive noise machines, which fall under the heading of "white noise" or "sound masking". The most appropriate time to think about the use of this technique is during the office design, but modern systems can be retrofitted into most work areas with relative ease. The bottom line, though, is to take at least some kind of action to reduce office noise.