According to recent studies, the performance of employees can be affected by factors within the organization as well as by his or her abilities. Most people are not aware of just how detrimental a noisy office environment can be. The truth of the matter is that office noise can have an enormous negative impact on the performance of employees, no matter how skilled or competent they may be.

Minimal office noise is, therefore, often a requirement for better employee performance. This can be a difficult thing to achieve. The feelings of noisy coworkers need to be considered. A solution which pleases all is the most effective one.

Removing office noise can be especially difficult in certain architectural schemes. Older buildings lack much sound insulation, while newer, more aesthetically-pleasing atrium-style offices with lots of exposed brick or stone surfaces are no help, either. However, there are ways to mitigate the negative impacts of a noisy office.

Get human resources involved and ask them to begin a new policy to dissuade employees from chatting in their cubicles. They should also not be allowed to make or receive personal phone calls in hallways or cubicles in an effort to reduce overall workplace noise. When they need to make a personal call, they should head to the outside lobby to do so.

Every worker should be warned against using either laptop or desktop speakers for the playing of music. To be certain that employees do not view this as a harsh sound masker, the company may determine that ear plugs or headsets need to be provided. Headsets that have noise cancellation ability are particularly beneficial for workers trying to place more focus on their work and not on their noisy coworkers.

A number of technological solutions are available as well, both for the individual and for offices. Speech privacy systems that have been installed by some progressive organizations have been quite successful. These sound masking systems mask speech, making noisy coworkers less intrusive. Sound absorbing panels on walls and furniture assist in noise reduction, at the same time adding to the office decor. These solutions may require a significant financial investment, but improved noise reduction often pays for itself as worker productivity increases as a result of fewer distractions.

Other individual solutions for noise control are available to your employer if they do not want make facilities improvements. White noise machines are usually small and do not take up much space. They can help you concentrate on the task at hand instead of that annoying coworker.

Keeping office noise to a minimum will improve employee performance. Because it involves noisy coworkers and their sensitivities, the task of minimizing or removing noise in the office can prove challenging. All workers should be advised against the use of desktop or laptop speakers for playing music. To ensure that employees do not consider this as a harsh sound masking measure, the organization may choose to provide them with earplugs or headsets. There are also many great individual and enterprise-wide technological solutions. Forward-thinking companies have had great results installing speech privacy systems throughout their open offices. Sound absorbent wall and furniture panels can also help.

- Frank Barnett

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