An open plan office

The open plan office is the bane of the modern workplace. I am convinced that this concept was thought up by an extrovert who was also a crisis and adrenaline junkie. But that’s probably just me: I am a certified introvert. Open plan offices are alleged to foster innovation and collaboration. In a world where cookie cutter businesses are the order of the day and differentiation is as hard to come by, I would champion the model just for its promise.

Making an open plan office actually work though, is more of a communal effort. Everyone has, at some point, been guilty of various privacy related offences at work. That phone call that you were on with your friend, which, as soon as you hung up on, realised that the whole office was staring at you with barely concealed horror/delight/angst. Unbeknownst to you, you just shared all the juicy details of your latest adventure with all and sundry; so engrossed were you that you didn’t notice your voice rising with every syllable.

How to focus

Being able to focus on your tasks amidst one colleague’s crisis, another’s fire fighting and yet another’s full out shouting match with the guys in marketing is a tall order. Our brains, unfortunately, are wired to respond more to unexpected noises, sights and sounds.

And because it can take up to seven minutes to get back into the same level of concentration as before the unwanted interruption, it only makes sense to minimise the risks of this happening. A great way, if you can get away with it, is using headphones. Whether or not they are noise cancelling, wearing headphones serves two purposes: sends the message that you are busy and not to be interrupted unless it’s important and allows you to focus on a singular noise.

Me space

It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the events in the workplace, especially if they’re happening around you. Sometimes, all you need is to physically step away from the space and take a breath.

Identify a place that is a short walk from your desk that can afford you privacy when you want to make your own personal phone calls, or where you can just sit for a few minutes, uninterrupted. Some offices have breakout rooms or lobbies for this purpose.

If none of this is practical, get out of the building and take a walk around the block. 

Tips

• Use headphones to send a ‘do not disturb’ message to your co-workers, as well as to reduce acoustic interruptions.

• Take a break from your desk and make all your personal phone calls in chunks to keep your private life private.

Photos: www.allblackwoman.com