If your office is already a noisy place, but you’ve also got the added irritation of a noisy comrade, your daily life at work can be a nightmare. There are deadlines and other issues of the job to contend with, so office noise makes it that much more difficult.

Here are 10 ways to deal with noisy coworkers. Not all will work, but there should be an option that will satisfy everybody’s need for a peaceful work environment. The main point is, something must be done or the problem could escalate to bigger issues.

The first thing you can try to do is to discus the office noise problem with the chief offenders. Sometimes this is all that it takes as they may not realize the how disruptive they are being. If all else fails, have a frank discussion with their manager. Generally they can effectively deal with the situation.

If you’ve tried this to no effect, then maybe it’s time to consider bringing in Human Resources as a third option. The bottom line is that unless you are in business completely by yourself you have to know how to work with others. Human Resources can really help in resolving the conflicts between coworkers that lead to unpleasant work environments.

The simple method of shutting your office door is a fourth option for minimizing having to deal with office noise. Of course,this is not a possibility for you if you spend your days working in a cubicle, but you can still encourage others to give you some room. If they don’t listen, then you should go for the fifth option, which means sending out an email to the appropriate supervisors outlining your position in the matter.

A convenient alternative to email would be sending a memo. This memo needs to be sent to the offender, the supervisor, or could be posted anonymously in a public area where most employees would see it. Some individuals need to be confronted in a loud and direct manner before they will pay attention to your words.

There are a couple of other ways to deal with noisy coworkers. This involves changing the office configuration so that the noise makers are moved further away from you or that your space is moved to a quieter location. While you might not be able to succeed in doing this, it surely will bring the noise problem to the attention of those in a position to do something about it.

The ninth option would be to provide your own background noise. A white noise machine or white noise generator may provide some relief. If your focus is on your work responsibilities and the white noise provides a distraction, perhaps the noisy coworkers will not be as noticeable to you.

The last option might be to enlist the aid of other coworkers. Surely they are aware of the office noise level but may not have been willing to make an issue out of it. Chances are if a significant number of people are complaining about the noise, it’s more likely to be addressed. As always, it’s best to do this congenially perhaps an informal office gathering where hostility is checked at the door.

The following 10 suggestions are ways to address the problem of noisy coworkers. First, try talking to the offenders. second, talk to their supervisor about the problem. Enlist the aid of your Human Resources department. The simple method of shutting your office door is a fourth option to deal with office noise. The fifth option is sending out an email to the appropriate supervisors outlining your position in the matter. A convenient alternative to email would be sending a memo. changing the office configuration. The ninth option would be to create your own personal, non offensive background noise. The last option is to initiate a non-aggressive conversation with someone.

- Frank Barnett

Filed under: Category Career | Tags: by admin