Noisy Coworkers - Know How To Handle Them.
Every office, no matter how big or small has to deal with coworkers who are loud. What can be done about this? The answer truly rests in what you are prepared to do about it. Here are a few realistic pointers to help you maintain your sanity and keep a sense of calm in your office without you becoming a loser.
Noisy, distracting colleagues frequently are unaware that they are creating distractions. Some just have irritating habits, while others actually prefer to disrupt their fellow workers. Your best bet, if you hope to stop them, is to discover why they are being noisy and disruptive and what is really at the bottom of their antisocial behavior.
The first personality type you must be concerned with is the kind who doesn't realize that his or her habits are disturbing. This individual frequently feels that the sounds in the office mask any noise they're making, so they think that no one can really tell if they're making a racket.
A good case in point is "Mr. Sniffles." This is the person who sits next to you while the cold and flu season is in full swing and sniffles throughout the day rather than blowing his nose. These raucous co-workers make you want to invest in Kleenex. Perhaps somebody should graciously inform them that their actions are annoying, or better yet, as with the Mr. Sniffles scenario, just give them some tissue and tell them to blow!
Another type of people are those trying always to be the center of attention. They can be hard to manage as they strive to be noticed, with hopes of moving up the ladder of success.
This kind of individual doesn't leave you with many coping options aside from trying to achieve a meaningful dialogue. If that turns out to be fruitless, you will have to discuss the situation with a manager. Let's face it, you will still be expected to perform your functions. And you may just find that, given the productivity-hampering activities of this difficult colleague, there may be other co-workers who are just as distressed as you are.
Every office, no matter how big or small, has to deal with Noisy Coworkers. What can be done about this? The answer truly rests in what you are prepared to do about it. Here are a few realistic pointers to help you maintain your sanity and keep a sense of calm in your office without you becoming a loser. First you will have to confront those who are causing Office Noise distractions but don't realize that their habits are triggering a negative reaction. The loss in production that the company is facing due to noise may prompt to install Sound Masking devices.
Published May 28th, 2008
Filed in Business, Career, Management
