For all their advantages, open plan offices can have their down sides too. Moira Dunne from Beproductive.ie outlines how to stay productive in an open plan environment.
Most organisations have moved away from individual offices to create open plan working spaces. These spaces minimise boundaries between people and promote collaboration and teamwork. Teams can stay in touch easily and deal with issues informally as they arise. This helps to people be productive in an open plan office and can increase work throughput.
But for all the advantages of open plan offices there can be down sides too. Here are some common issues that arise, issues that can cause distraction and upset if not well managed. These include increased noise levels, frequent desk-visits by colleagues and noisy technology alerts.
There are visual distractions too that tap into our natural curiosity. If you are working hard but spot your teammates laughing, you want to know what’s going on.
All of this makes it hard to stay focused. To be productive in an open plan office we need to make some changes.
Take control by identifying the specific things that cause you to be distracted. Identify what you can do something about and make changes. Here are 5 tips to help you.
1. Create a Virtual Wall
Use headphones to block out the noise around you. Music headphones are not ideal as listening to music can be a distracting too. Invest in headphones that are specifically designed to block noise.
As headphones effectively cut you off from the world around you, it is important to agree this with your boss. Consult your colleagues too if you share responsibilities for answering phones or queries. Offer to take turns using headphones and cover for each other so that everyone gets some uninterrupted time to get important work done.
2. Have a Clear Plan
Planning is key to staying focused. Work in time blocks and set small targets. You are less likely to be distracted by conversations if you have a clear list of tasks to achieve. It’s about taking control: when you have a deadline to meet you chose to stay focused, when the pressure is off you chose to catch up with colleagues.
3. Match Task to Noise Level
Examine all your work. Some tasks require a higher level of concentration than others. Plan to work on low focus tasks when the office is at its noisiest (usually Friday afternoons!). Batch up these tasks and crack through them, while keeping on top of the general chat around you. Plan to do your high-focus work when you know the office is quieter.
4. Organise The Space
If you have any flexibility try to maximise how your office space is used. Creating functional areas can increase concentration and reduce distraction, such as:
- A collaboration table or desk
- An equipment and supplies zone
- A quiet corner for solo working
Aim to reduce the amount of traffic passing individual work areas. Which areas are noisiest with lots of passers-by? Can all the equipment, such as printers and photocopiers, be positioned near the coffee station or the stationery cupboard?
Pool together ideas to give your manager. Then during the next office upgrade the team productivity is considered.
5. Embrace Distractions
There will be things that you can’t control or change. But what you can control is your reaction. If we allow ourselves to react to a constant noise, we can end up working in a state of permanent annoyance.
Accept the issue. Embrace it. Work around it. Use off peak hours when you can. Book a meeting room. Take control and own your time and your reactions.
Be productive and manage your time.
Being productive in an open plan office is about taking control.
Best of luck with these tips. Just contact me at moiradunne@beproductive.ie if you would like further advice. Check our Articles section for other productivity and time management tips on Managing Email, Reducing Stress and Saying No
Main image: Alex Kotliarskyi on Unsplash
Published 16 October 2019
