Making the most of an open office

The open office: love it or hate it, you probably don’t get to choose the layout of your workspace.  You can decide, though, to make the most of it.  Here are a few tips for getting along and maximizing productivity in a big, busy, loud space.

Noise canceling headphones are invaluable in a shared workspace.  On a phone call, keep your attention where it belongs.  Use Plantronics’ Voyager Focus for maximum passive and active noise cancelling, both so you can concentrate on what’s being said and so that background noise doesn’t annoy your caller.  When you’re not on a call, use the Focus to listen to music, block out the surrounding noise and allow you to, well, focus.  Inevitably, headphone fatigue will set in, no matter what device you use.  Consider that fatigue a reminder to take a walk, stretch your legs, and refresh your mind.

All offices should have available spaces where employees can shut the door and get a little quiet or have a private conversation.  There are phone calls and in-person conversations that your co-workers shouldn’t overhear.  And because we all have lives outside the office, sometimes these conversations are personal – your doctor, your child’s teacher, your bank.  In my opinion, as long as you aren’t taking advantage of your employer, you’re going to be more productive in the long run if you can get these issues taken care of quickly and get back to work.

Don’t gossip. I’m opposed, foursquare against it.  Venting, repeating what you’ve overheard, magnifying a negative anecdote – all of these lead to a toxic work environment and foster discord.  When what you’re saying is coming from a place of anger or frustration, or if you’ve heard it second hand, it’s likely to be exaggerated, if not flat-out wrong.  If you’re genuinely upset about a co-worker, a policy, a specific event, take advantage of one of those private rooms and have that difficult but necessary conversation.  In an open office space, people are going to hear what you say whether you intend them to or not.  Please, please, please, don’t bad-mouth a colleague to me when he’s 20 feet away.  I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to start an argument with you, and I don’t want anyone to think I agree with you.  And if you absolutely MUST vent, go for a walk and phone a friend.

Use your sick days.  Don’t bring your pernicious germs into the office and spread them around.  If you want to share, bring cookies, not viruses.  OK, don’t be a big baby about it and stay home at the slightest hint of a headache or a cold that might just be allergies.  Use your best judgment. If you’re the 20^th person in the office to have the same minor bug, everyone has already been exposed to that particular blend of microbes, and you’re not likely to spread it any further.   Otherwise, work from home if you can, stay in bed for a day to recuperate, and for everyone’s sake, if you have a fever, stay away!

If you’ve worked in the same place for years, it may feel like home, and your co-workers may feel like family, but the office is just not the place to let it all hang out.  Be cognizant of your noise level, language, what personal information you share with your neighbor, the lunch you’re eating at your desk, and your perfume.  Again, people can hear more than you may think, and one person’s Chanel No.5 is another’s person’s afternoon of sneezing.  I think of it like this: I choose not to smoke.  If you are a smoker, and you indulge right next to me, you’re forcing me to smoke whether I want to or not.  And so you can choose to be loud, wear a lot of perfume, or eat raw onions at your desk, but when you do these things, your choice takes away my choice.

Use the manners your mother drummed into you.  Thank you, please, pardon me, you’re welcome.  These are powerful words and phrases that garner good will and invite collaboration. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should act like a corporate robot.  Collaboration requires socialization.  You should be able to joke, have fun, and enjoy yourself at work.  I honestly do want to hear about your weekend, see pictures of your adorable new kitten, and watch the video of your baby’s first steps.  Just remember there are limits.

How do you combat the bad manners and poor etiquette of others?  By example and by taking the high road. Patience and understanding are important, and sometimes you have to have the confidence to stand your ground.  You may need to be blunt, “No thanks, I don’t gossip,” or “Would you mind lowering your voice just a bit, please?” If talking to the offending co-worker directly doesn’t yield the results you need, it’s time to get management involved, whether it’s your immediate boss or HR. 

There is value to an open office as well.  Collaboration is as easy as looking around to see who’s free.  You can learn a lot from listening to more practiced employees on the phone with their customers.  And a co-worker within hearing distance may have a tried-and-true answer to an issue you’re struggling with.  It’s also a great way for someone new to get to know everyone else.  It’s hard to stay a stranger when your neighbor is telling everyone about her weekend trip to your home town.

Plantronics has been putting a focus on open but flexible spaces that encourage collaboration, while still allowing for quiet, with innovate noise cancelling features, and layouts that are maximized for concentration.  Their new offices in Amsterdam are on the leading edge of combining productivity with employee-centric features that make it a rewarding place to be, proving that the open workspace concept can be good for everyone.

No matter what the layout of your office, and no matter how you feel about it, there’s always room for improvement.  Be conscious of your surroundings, be aware of your behavior, and be considerate of your co-workers.  That’s it - that’s honestly all it takes to make the most of an open office workspace.  Well, that, and a pair of really good noise-cancelling headphones.