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Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

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Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#111

Post by [deleted] »

pasbesoin wrote: post #88
pklausler wrote: post #10

The problem with open office plans is that it takes just one noisy person to spoil it for everybody. If managed carefully and actively, they can work -- it just takes an manager willing to correct bad behavior or send sick people home. Where I work, I have a budding tupperware percussionist, three imminent victims of whooping cough, some parents managing high-maintenance offspring over cell phones, and one guy who co…

It's often worse in that the noisy person hinders their coworkers, while no one hinders them -- particularly in a work culture that lauds "open" and discourages a limiting response on the part of others towards that person. Meanwhile, the quiet people are not keeping the noisy one from their work or working effectively if and when they choose to concentrate. Result? The noisy people "succeed". I consider it a cousin…

[deleted]

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#112

Post by gingerrr »

6DM wrote: post #79
pzh wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious... could you explain what you specifically meant by ear-buds being damaging to your hearing? Were you blasting the volume to drown out environment noise or were you talking about noise-canceling earphones? (I personally use noise-canceling earphones a lot, and the only bad thing I've heard is that they may cause vertigo in some people...)

I was turning the volume up loud enough to drown out the loud conversations when using ear-buds. By damaging, I mean I was constantly asking people to repeat them selves because while I could hear them I couldn't distinguish their words. Not everyone was like that, just moderate to soft spoken people or those with deep voices. I didn't make the connection until I happened across one article about it, which I think wa…

Only anecdata, but I used to feel the same way about noise-canceling headphones without sound playing. After a cross-ocean trip where my devices all died and I was only left with the unsoothing silent hiss, my ears adjusted to it. It's just a matter of sticking it out long enough that your ears get over the weirdness, and now I can actually use them to just cancel noise rather than mask with other noise.

Of course, if it's a painful pressure, please don't risk it :)

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#113

Post by Florin_Andrei »

ghaff wrote: post #107
nisse72 wrote: post #89

I am currently working in a very crowded open office. We have small desks where we sit almost elbow to elbow, the place is all hard surfaces (it's an old industrial building made into office space), and there is a fair amount of noise. But none of this would bother me except for the fact that one senior person has decided to have speakers installed in the ceiling, and we have to listen to non-stop spotify playing top…

I'm no fan of open plans in general but that sounds truly horrifying.

Franz Kafka meets Silicon Valley.

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#114

Post by mgkimsal »

speeder wrote: post #80
pklausler wrote: post #10

The problem with open office plans is that it takes just one noisy person to spoil it for everybody. If managed carefully and actively, they can work -- it just takes an manager willing to correct bad behavior or send sick people home. Where I work, I have a budding tupperware percussionist, three imminent victims of whooping cough, some parents managing high-maintenance offspring over cell phones, and one guy who co…

I have ADHD, meaning that open office is great to distract me... But also, one of the symptons of ADHD, with the "H" there, is that people must move, in my particular case one of the things I tend to do is tap my nails on the desk, use tupperware as drums, or if a actual musical instrument is nearby, even if I dunno how to play it, I play it. So, ADHD person in open office not only has terrible productivity due to ot…

but think of all the money they saved on the office space!

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#115

Post by [deleted] »

speeder wrote: post #80
pklausler wrote: post #10

The problem with open office plans is that it takes just one noisy person to spoil it for everybody. If managed carefully and actively, they can work -- it just takes an manager willing to correct bad behavior or send sick people home. Where I work, I have a budding tupperware percussionist, three imminent victims of whooping cough, some parents managing high-maintenance offspring over cell phones, and one guy who co…

I have ADHD, meaning that open office is great to distract me... But also, one of the symptons of ADHD, with the "H" there, is that people must move, in my particular case one of the things I tend to do is tap my nails on the desk, use tupperware as drums, or if a actual musical instrument is nearby, even if I dunno how to play it, I play it. So, ADHD person in open office not only has terrible productivity due to ot…

[deleted]

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#116

Post by chris_7 »

jmcdiesel wrote: post #109
CaptSpify wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just like we need to adapt to poor eyesight instead of relying on these "glasses" everyone keeps raving about. /s I find it hard to take your statement seriously

Those two things are completely non relatable. If your eyesight is bad, there are things YOU can do for YOURSELF to fix that problem, without asking anyone to change what THEY are doing. The "quiet office" is something that only some people prefer. Many of us (I'm one of them) prefer noise - music playing, background noise, etc ... I find it hard to concentrate in silence, and I know more people like me. To ask other…

> I find it hard to concentrate in silence

Great! Put on some headphones, then?

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#117

Post by droopyEyelids »

pklausler wrote: post #10

The problem with open office plans is that it takes just one noisy person to spoil it for everybody. If managed carefully and actively, they can work -- it just takes an manager willing to correct bad behavior or send sick people home. Where I work, I have a budding tupperware percussionist, three imminent victims of whooping cough, some parents managing high-maintenance offspring over cell phones, and one guy who co…

If you have to outlaw default human behavior for a system to 'work' then it doesn't work

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#118

Post by jordwest »

6DM wrote: post #79
pzh wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious... could you explain what you specifically meant by ear-buds being damaging to your hearing? Were you blasting the volume to drown out environment noise or were you talking about noise-canceling earphones? (I personally use noise-canceling earphones a lot, and the only bad thing I've heard is that they may cause vertigo in some people...)

I was turning the volume up loud enough to drown out the loud conversations when using ear-buds. By damaging, I mean I was constantly asking people to repeat them selves because while I could hear them I couldn't distinguish their words. Not everyone was like that, just moderate to soft spoken people or those with deep voices. I didn't make the connection until I happened across one article about it, which I think wa…

I had the same feeling when I first bought noise cancelling phones.

From what I recall (and don't have any references on me) this is because they tend to filter out the lower frequency sounds, which your brain associates with a pressure change.

After some time wearing them on silent, I've found that the sensation goes away. Still, I usually use rainymood.com to block out the other subtle sounds that get through.

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#119

Post by kough »

6DM wrote: post #79
pzh wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious... could you explain what you specifically meant by ear-buds being damaging to your hearing? Were you blasting the volume to drown out environment noise or were you talking about noise-canceling earphones? (I personally use noise-canceling earphones a lot, and the only bad thing I've heard is that they may cause vertigo in some people...)

I was turning the volume up loud enough to drown out the loud conversations when using ear-buds. By damaging, I mean I was constantly asking people to repeat them selves because while I could hear them I couldn't distinguish their words. Not everyone was like that, just moderate to soft spoken people or those with deep voices. I didn't make the connection until I happened across one article about it, which I think wa…

I had the same issue with noise-cancelling headphones (the bose qc 20 in-ears) where I couldn't wear them without sound pumping through them, so I ended up buying a pair of custom-molded in ear monitors (IEM is the search keyword to learn more). For a little cheaper than the price of the bose headphones, I had an audiologist take molds of my inner ear and then sent them to a guy in Poland (http://thecustomart.com/music_art-custom.php), who made me the best pair of headphones I've ever used. Noise cancelling is on-par or better than the Bose headphones, but all passive, and they sound fucking amazing. Highly recommend looking into this or another custom IEM solution -- it's made me a lot happier and more productive and less worried about hearing loss.

One question that the audiologist answered that you might want to know -- the noise-cancelling hiss has no impact on your hearing in a short-term or long-term way, so it is totally safe to use them without music or with low music all the time.

Re: Noisy Coworkers And Other Sounds Are A Distraction In Workplace

#120

Post by jmcdiesel »

chris_7 wrote: post #116
jmcdiesel wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those two things are completely non relatable. If your eyesight is bad, there are things YOU can do for YOURSELF to fix that problem, without asking anyone to change what THEY are doing. The "quiet office" is something that only some people prefer. Many of us (I'm one of them) prefer noise - music playing, background noise, etc ... I find it hard to concentrate in silence, and I know more people like me. To ask other…

> I find it hard to concentrate in silence Great! Put on some headphones, then?

You can! They have great noise canceling headphones these days, so go ahead and put those on and let everyone else do their thing?
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