Open offices are supposed to encourage teamwork, but at what cost?
More and more companies are building open office spaces to boost collaboration and company transparency. This is very common in the tech scene.
I have found them to be very distracting environments that can lead to a lack of productivity. If you find yourself getting distracted by all the noise and interruptions to your day then check out the tips below:
Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You
Be conscious of talking to someone when they are in the middle of a project. If you have a question but don't want to bug someone then send them an email or internal chat tool. If you find yourself needing a distraction then take a walk outside.
Cancel The Noise
Get yourself a nice pair of noise cancelling headphones. This will block out all audible distractions and they put off a strong "don't bug me I'm working" vibe.
My recommendation is BOSE Quiet Comfort Series. I can't fly without these things >>
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Plan Your Day
An idle day leads to a lot of chatter. My day is filled with scheduled hours of prospecting, follow-up on pipeline, administrative duties, time set-aside for checking email, and a little free time scheduled in there.
(Check back for a break down of my weekly schedule)
In summary:
Their are a lot of other things you can do like finding a small office space to do your most important tasks in, giving off verbal clues that you are busy (like staring at your computer and type when someone is trying to talk to you), and finding a way to a corner desk that boarders a window.
At the end of the day tech companies love the open office experience even though studies show it leads to a lack of collaboration. Hopefully these tips help you stay in peak performance. If you have discovered any tips to stay productive in an open office please share them in the comment section.